TMJ:Underestimated
by 2211Nighthawk
Summary: TMJ Universe AU. Prompt from my sister, if Starscream was in charge. "He had been underestimated too many times, and he'd had enough."
1. Field Day

**Here's the deal! All my TMJ oneshots will be posted here under new chapters so that i can keep everything organized.**

 **that being said it will always be marked as complete. I'll change the title and summery as I need and the last chapter will be the newest one.**

 **Finally got it done!**

 **Ok, this is the 150th review oneshot for Teckmouse6533. S/he requested Ratchet's reaction to the first time as a field medic. And I finally got it done.**

 **So first a few things because _technically_ this could probably will be a chapter far far in the distant future. There for i have to explain myself a bit for this to make sense. **

**First off, yes chain of command is mess up and everyone seems OOC because this is very very early in the war. This takes place very shortly after the destruction of the Youth Sectors and in my head cannon, that is what officially triggers the War. Also at this point, Ratchet is not yet an Autobot, just a neutral medic dragged into the mess.**

 **I've tried to write it that you don't need to have read The Medical Journals to understand it but that might be a good idea.**

 **So, on with Ratchet's first time on the field.**

* * *

Ratchet glared at the red and blue Prime and resisted the urge to smirk as the Prime squirmed under his glare.

He worked with the most stubborn and dangerous mechs on the planet. If his glare couldn't peel paint and make the toughest miner or gangster cowering in fear before him, then he might as well hang up his scalpels and call it quits.

"Please?" The Prime asked pathetically, looking more like the young mech Ratchet knew and less like the Prime he was supposed to be. Beside him, the slim light blue mech turned to stare at the Prime in surprise.

"Are you," Ratchet asked quietly, "out of you fraggin processor?!"

Optimus Prime flinched, gleaming armor tightening against his frame as he took a half step back and to the right, placing the other mech between him and Ratchet.

"Read my lips. Not on your life!" Ratchet snapped before turning and storming away. He had to go check on the medbay and his patients before anyone else on the pathetic excuse of a medical staff did anything stupid.

"I don't see why you don't just order him Sir."

Ratchet froze at the Towermech's cultured tone. With a low snarl he turned to glare at the slim mech. Kadylac, Second in Command of the Autobot forces and Head of Special Operations. One of the few mechs to survive the destruction of the Towers and one of the majority that didn't know Ratchet's reputation among the working class.

"Because I'm smarter than that." Optimus muttered, avoiding Ratchet's scathing glare.

"Because I would tell him to take that order and shove it up his aft." Ratchet snapped. The Towermech frowned. "I don't take orders from just anyone."

"But you will listen to your Prime." Kadylac continued, blue optics hard.

"My _Prime_ happens to be a very young mech that should no way in any shape or form have to lead anyone in any kind of war. Civil or otherwise." Ratchet replied before glancing at Optimus with a shrug. "No offence."

"None taken." Optimus said only to wince when Kadylac turned his glare onto the young Prime.

"Then you know that ordering me anywhere is pointless." Ratchet continued with a scowl. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go check up on our dear, sweet Chief Medical Officer."

With that he turned away, pit bent on getting back to Medical.

"Do you want the Youth Sectors to happen again?"

Ratchet went rigid in horror, his spark stopping entirely as his frame locked up.

All those grey frames. Oh Primus if they had gotten there sooner, they might have been able to save more than just the one youngling. It had been a massacre. All those younglings and sparklings slaughtered-

With a snarl, his frame vibrating in rage, horror and sorrow Ratchet turned back to face Optimus.

"That's a low blow and you know it." He hissed, servos clenched in rage.

"Megatron's my brother Ratchet." Optimus said with a one sided shrug. "We both know how to fight dirty."

"As low as that was," Kadylac said, sending the young Prime another glare. "He does have a point. We need all the field medics we can get. And your friend Quicklight said that you were used to working under pressure."

Ratchet scowled darkly.

"Remind me to thank him for putting me in the spotlight." He growled. "And that was almost seven metacycles ago!"

"But it was under a lot of stress." Optimus put in.

"I wasn't being shot at and bombed!"

"You'll be with our Elite squad. You'll be completely safe." Kadylac spoke up. Ratchet shot the slim mech a flat look even as Optimus cringed again, this time shifting away from the Towermech.

"From my experiences. 'Elite' and 'safe' have never belonged in the same sentence." He growled, armor flaring in warning.

"Trust me Ratchet, you'll be safe. You're leaving in half a klick." Optimus said with a smirk.

Ratchet's vents stuttered.

"Wait, when did I agree to this slag!" He demanded as Optimus and Kadylac tuned and walked away. "Orion Pax! You glitch!"

ooOOoo

Ratchet froze as soon as he walked into the hanger bay, still growling under his breath. The shuttle he was looking for, a big cargo transport, was in the middle of being loaded up. But it was the group of mechs at the base of the ramp that made his armor stand on end.

Or more accurately, the single, black mech that was laughing with another equally big mech. The Elite Guard.

He stopped so fast that Optimus walked into him and Ratchet stumbled forward before spinning on the young Prime with a snarl.

But the Guard beat him to it.

"Him?!" He sputtered, stalking over and deep blue optics wide with shock. "With all due respect are you out of your processor Prime?"

"I will not be in the same unit as _him!_ " Ratchet spat, jabbing a digit at the Guard.

"Trust me _medic,_ the feeling's mutual!" The mech snarled.

"Hold on Ironhide, you requested a medic yourself and Ratchet is the best at what he does." Optimus started to say.

"I will not trust my life to an _Elite Guard!"_ Ratchet spat and Ironhide whirled on him in anger.

"What the frag is that supposed to mean!" Ironhide demanded.

"It means your kind _slaughtered_ my friends!"

"Your kind are _currently_ slaughtering mechs! Or did you forget what your _friends_ did to the Youth Sectors!"

"And you didn't do the same thing to Straxis?!"

"Enough!" Optimus yelled, physically shoving the two mechs apart before things could get violent. Again. "Ratchet, Ironhide is not like the Guards you knew, trust me on that."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Ratchet snarled, flared armor slowly starting to settle but the growl in his engine remained.

"Ironhide, Ratchet knows what he's doing. As rough and violent-"

Ratchet shot the Prime another smoldering glare.

"-as he seems, he's a good mech and will do whatever he can for your unit." Optimus finished. "Besides, the Decepticons are doing a good enough job tearing us apart, I don't want to have to worry about you two trying to 'off each other."

Ratchet had to give the Guard credit for wincing. Even he felt a twinge of shame. Under Megatron, the Decepticons were more than a force to be reckoned with.

"Try not to terminate each other, alright?" Optimus asked again, glancing at both mechs. Ratchet turned to glare at Ironhide, sizing the black mech up. He had no reason to trust him, more so because of what he knew the Elite Guard was. He'd seen firsthand what the 'Prime's hit mechs' as they were nicknamed, were capable of.

But at the same time, after the mess with Sterling, it was common knowledge about his time working with the miners. And with half the Decepticon forces former miners, _he_ had no reason to trust Ratchet.

"Fine." Ratchet grumbled, glancing at the young Prime for just a moment before back to Ironhide. "I'll stuck around to bail his aft out of trouble."

"My aft-!" Ironhide squawked as Ratchet turned and stormed toward the shuttle and his so called 'new unit'. "And just what in frag makes you think that we'll need to be bailed out of trouble?!"

"I have to put your unit back together all the time." Ratchet replied levelly as he walked into the shuttle. "Call it a hunch."

ooOOoo

"I'm going to _murder_ that Prime!" Ratchet spat, ducking as something sailed past his helm. Whatever it was missed by more than enough but the fact that it had come toward him at all was nerve wracking enough.

"What's the matter medic?" Ironhide asked with a chuckle, crouching beside the bright yellow mech before quickly standing up to take a few potshots at a Decepticon that was getting far too close for comfort. "Scared?"

Ratchet didn't respond as he continued to stabilise one of the mechs in 'his' unit. Springer or something. Some hot-helm with no sense of self-preservation. The young triple-changer was unconscious, a gaping wound in his side from a plasma blast.

"Fraggin idiotic glitch…" Ratchet muttered under his breath, cringing as more gunfire ricocheted overhelm. "You said you'd keep fire away from me!" He barked at Ironhide.

"I am." Ironhide growled, glaring at Ratchet before ducking as another spray of plasma fire blasted past. Ratchet cursed as he continued to seal fluid lines to keep the young mech from leaking out.

"When is that shuttle gonna get here!" Ratchet demanded, glancing at Ironhide.

"Five klicks. He'd better be ready."

"Trust me, we both are." Ratchet muttered darkly before cringing as another explosion shook the ground. Ironhide chuckled before swearing sharply as a blast clipped the rubble by his helm. Ratchet snorted, rolling his optics as the Guard fired off a few more shots with a yelled curse.

A spray of gunfire, not Decepticon, had Ratchet cursing as he covered Springer's wound with his frame as dust showered everywhere.

"Shuttle's here!" Ironhide called sarcastically.

"Glitched pilot!" Ratchet spat as the mech landed the small shuttle as close to them as possible.

"Someone need a lift?" A cocky red and grey mech asked, leaning in the doorway of the shuttle as two other mechs, both Ratchet had seen in the medbay dropping off wounded, bolted out with a stretcher.

Within a few klicks Springer was back on his way to Iacon and Ratchet was cowering behind their shelter as Decepticon fire threatened to rip the rubble they were hiding behind apart.

"Can we _please_ get back to safety now?!" Ratchet demanded. They had been separated from the unit as the so called 'Elite Unit' took off in every direction to charge helm-long into the battle. Figuring he stood a better chance with the gun-happy Elite Guard instead of a couple cocky hot-helms, he had stuck close to the black mech.

"What, ain't you having fun yet?"" Ironhide asked with a smirk, glancing at the medic. Maybe he would have been better off with the hot-helms.

The yellow medic growled before abruptly grabbed Ironhide's collar strut, yanking him down as a shot nearly took his hem off.

"Told you I'd save your aft." Ratchet said with a smirk as Ironhide jerked free with a growl.

"Don't think you're out of the smelter yet medic." Ironhide responded.

" **All units in sector D-6! Prepare for airstrike!"** Prowl's voice thundered over the comms.

"D-6. Isn't that us?" Ratchet asked dryly. Ironhide froze, his optics widening in realisation.

"Oh slag." Ironhide muttered just as the roar of Decepticon seeker engines got louder. "Run!"

Ratchet didn't need to be told twice as he lunged forward into his 4x4 altmode, tires spinning on the loose ground as he peeled out. Ironhide was right behind him as they tore off, Decepticon shots blasting past their flanks.

" **Ironhide, I will strip you for parts for this!"** Ratchet snarled as a blast scoured his side to the raw plating.

" **What did I do?!"** Ironhide demanded, swerving to the side to avoid a shot.

" **Kept me from throttling the Prime while I had a-"**

The ground exploded behind them and both mechs nearly lost control.

" **-chance!"** Ratchet finished at a yell.

" **Well excuse me for doing my job as his body guard!"** Ironhide shot back before abruptly slamming into Ratchet's side.

" **What-!"** Ratchet squawked as he lost traction and skidded sideways into a ditch, Ironhide on top of him. He transformed to throw the half-transformed mech off with a snarl.

"The frag Ironhide!" Ratchet yelled as the Guard also transformed. A split nano-klick later the ground exploded just were they had been and Ratchet ducked, throwing his arms over his helm as shrapnel rained down on them.

"You're welcome." Ironhide said with a smug grin, crossing his arms over his chassis and leaning against the half collapsed side of the ditch. Ratchet shot him a dark look before something slammed into the ground between them.

"Get out!" Ironhide roared but Ratchet was already halfway out of the ditch, self-preservation coding running at full power. He just managed to scramble out of the ditch before the shell exploded.

The blast threw him and he slammed to the ground hard, his helm spinning. He caught a glimpse of piercing red optics before something slammed into his helm and he blacked out.

ooOOoo

Slowly his systems booted up and Ratchet hissed in pain, his helm throbbing. He tried to get to his kneebolts only to realise that his arms were pinned behind his back with stasis cuffs.

The familiar, and hated, feeling shocked the rest of his systems online and he jerked, sitting up and wincing as gashes on his frame made themselves aware. He ran a quick diagnosis and was relieved to realise that there was no major damage, only shallow gashes and scraps that would heal themselves. It was at that point that he realised that something was leaning against him. Black plating caught his attention and he snarled, shoving Ironhide off of him. The black mech groaned as he hit the ground on his side and Ratchet gave him a good kick in the leg for good measure.

"You glitch!" He yelled as Ironhide jerked online with a curse.

"Wha-"

"I'm gonna fraggin' rip you apart if I ever get my servos on you!"

"What about that coding of yours." Ironhide asked dryly, shifting to sit up properly. "Can't harm another or something like that?"

"Codding be fragged! Where the pit are we!" Ratchet demanded getting his own legs under him to stand and glance around. They were in a dark room, the only light coming from a narrow barred window in the door and their optics.

"How would I know!" Ironhide countered as he also stood up. "I ain't one of them!"

Ratchet turned with a snarl but noise on the other side of the door caught their attention and both mechs froze.

"Ah, you're both online." A far too familiar voice said and Ratchet stiffened in alarm as the door slid open to reveal a familiar frame. The mech had changed his colors since he had last seen him but he would recognise Scrapper anywhere.

"What do you want 'Con." Ironhide snarled, taking a step back and placing himself slightly in front of Ratchet.

"Well, we were originally just happy to take you _Ironhide_ , but then when we saw our dear old friend Ratchet," The mech said with a shrug before glancing at Ratchet with a smug grin. "Well we couldn't just leave our brother laying out there could we?"

"Brother?!" Ironhide squawked, turning to stare at Ratchet.

"Who's we." Ratchet demanded, ignoring the black mech sputtering beside him.

"Why, my new gang of course." Scrapper said with a vicious smirk.

"Didn't take long to replace Dusty and the others did you." Ratchet accused with a growl of his own.

"You're not the only traitor around here Ratchet. Lots of the gang are Decepticons and yet here you are with an _Autobot."_ Scrapper shot back.

"Brother?!" Ironhide yelled louder.

"We were part of the same mining gang before this mess started. He and Longhaul transferred out." Ratchet growled, finally acknowledging Ironhide. "Guess things have changed a bit sense then."

"Just a little." Scrapper replied with a smirk. "I'd introduce you to the rest of the gang but they're a little busy at the moment."

"To bad." Ratchet growled.

"I knew you were a 'Con lover." Ironhide growled lowly.

"Oh get over it!" Ratchet snapped, shooting the mech a dark look.

"Oh trust me Autobot, he is not one of us." Scrapper growled. "Not anymore."

Ratchet flinched, the words hurting more than they should considering everything that had happened since he had first left Iacon.

"Megatron will be quite happy to get his servos on you." Scrapper continued, glancing at Ironhide. "And as for Ratchet. Well, as far as we're concerned, you're a traitor and, well, Megaton _despises_ traitors."

"I'm well aware of that." Ratchet said nervously as the mech turned and left, slamming the door behind them.

"Great, we're as good as slag." Ironhide snapped. "Nobody knows that we're here and the 'Cons have some kind of grudge against you-"

"Ain't the first time someone's wanted me offline." Ratchet said with a smirk. "Politicians, gangsters, Enforcers, Decepticons…"

Ironhide stared at him blankly, optics wide in alarm.

"What the frag kind of medic were you?" He asked finally.

"A good one." Ratchet said with a smirk, trying to twist his arms in the cuffs. To his surprise, they were set at a much lower setting then normal and he was able to move his arms a little. Testing them out he was easily able to twist his wrists despite the sharp shock that was sent up his arms.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side." Ironhide muttered, glancing around the cell. "So what, you know how to pick a lock too while you're at it?"

"I'm a medic." Ratchet replied flatly, still trying to twist his servo around. "What makes you think I can pick a lock?"

Ironhide shrugged.

"You seem to be full of surprises for a simple medic." He replied.

Ratchet smirked, once again glancing around the cell.

"I guess your subspace is locked?" he asked.

"Course it is. Your's?"

"Yep." Ratchet replied,

"Well then what's the plan if I can't access my weapons and you can't access any of your tools." Ironhide demanded with a scowl.

"Who says I can't access my tools?" Ratchet asked, finally managing to get his servo far enough around to reach the thin strip of metal just under his bracer. Fighting the stasis cuffs sent bolts of hot electricity up his arms and he knew he would have to replace some of the circuitry.

But if he could short out the lock, he could-

"Got it." Ratchet said with a wince as the cuffs sent one more powerful shock up his systems before going dead.

"Got what." Ironhide asked.

"Cuffs are dead." Ratchet said with a grin as once again power was restored to his arms and he twisted the thin piece of metal free of the cuffs.

"You're kidding me."

"Nope. And…" Ratchet flexed his arms again and the cuffs creaked before snapping. "They're off."

Ironhide continued to stare at him in shock.

"Watch the door would you?" Ratchet asked as he sat down, using the thin metal to pick at his thigh.

"What are… you… doing…?" Ironhide asked in confusion, tilting his helm to the side.

"Getting my tools." Ratchet replied, focusing on finding that miniscule catch. "The door?"

Ironhide shot him a dry look before shifting over to the door to peer through the window.

"It's clear." Ironhide muttered as Ratchet found the catch and a second subspace popped up on his HUD.

"Ow." Ratchet hissed as the illegal upgrade reconnected and he accessed the small field kit he always carried in his thigh.

"How the frag…?" Ironhide stammered as Ratchet stood up with a wince, limping on that leg.

"Don't tell Prowl." Ratchet growled, sliding the thin metal back up under his bracer. "Or Kadylac. Or anyone else for that matter."

"Where the pit did you lean to pick stasis cuffs?" Ironhide asked again.

"Mech I knew in Praxus." Ratchet said with a shrug, getting to work on Ironhide's cuffs. "I put him back together after a bounty hunter tried to blow his helm off."

"Do I know this mech?"

"He's a 'Con." Ratchet said with a smirk and Ironhide scowled. "But yes you do. Meiser."

"Meiser?!"

With a pop the cuffs snapped off and Ironhide winced as he rubbed his wrist joints before spinning on Ratchet.

"Sit down." Ratchet ordered before the mech had a chance to say anything.

"You and Meiser are friends?!"

"I wouldn't exactly call it that." Ratchet said with a scowl. "It was just business."

"Business my aft." Ironhide growled. "And you expect me to let you hotwire my helm now?"

"Do you want your weapons or not. Now don't move." Ratchet ordered as he started working on reconnecting the mech's weapons systems.

"Don't move he says." Ironhide muttered. "I'm just gonna short your processor with a stick I pulled out of my protoform!"

"Under my bracer." Ratchet corrected, rolling his optics as he worked.

Ironhide continued to mutter under his breath until the sound of pedsteps had both mechs freezing.

"Frag…" Ratchet hissed, working as fast as he dared. Wiring was touchy stuff and if he mess up, he just might short out the mech's processor.

"Ratchet…" Ironhide growled, his armor flaring as the steps got closer.

"Working as fast as I can." Ratchet hissed back, glancing up nervously. Just as the door unlocked and started to open Ratchet snapped the mech's subspace panel shut and jumped back as Ironhide's weapons powered up to full strength in an instant.

The mech that opened the door didn't stand a chance as the blast ripped his chassis open. He slammed against the far wall before sliding down, energon everywhere.

Ratchet glanced away, his tanks heaving as he steadied himself on the wall, jaw clenched as his coding went haywire. This was wrong…

It was one thing to see the carnage after a battle, it was another to see a mech murder another in front of him.

"Come on!" Ironhide snarled, grabbing Ratchet's bracer and jerking him forward. "Your friends will have heard that shot."

Ratchet didn't even respond to the snide remark as he stumbled after the Guard, his optics locking on the greying mech slumped against the wall. Primus, how many had he seen greying out like that…

"Ratchet! Come on!" Ironhide barked, jarring Ratchet out of his thoughts.

"Yeah yeah…" Ratchet stammered as he followed Ironhide, the whine of his cannons the only sound in the dimly lit hall. Abruptly Ironhide stopped and whipped around, Ratchet almost walking into the mech. He started to back off but Ironhide grabbed his collar struts, yanking him faceplate to faceplate with the other mech.

"You need to focus." Ironhide hissed, blue optics locked on Ratchet's own pair. "You did your job now it's my job. Compute?"

Ratchet scowled before nodding. He'd faced worse. He would survive this as well. If only so that he could get back to Iacon and strangle Optimus.

"Good. Stay behind me and stay quiet." Ironhide ordered before turning back down the hall. Ratchet made a face at his back before rolling his optics and creeping after him.

"We'll have to make a break for it." Ironhide said quietly. "Find a way out of here and hope they didn't drag us to far from Iacon."

"You forgot something." Ratchet grumbled.

"What."

"I don't have my subspace." Ratchet replied with a sarcastic smirk when Ironhide turned to him.

"I thought you had that hotwired or something." Ironhide asked.

"No, that's a secondary much smaller and illegal subspace. It doesn't let me transform." Ratchet explained. "And it feels like someone's stabbing a knife into my processor when it's active. I've already disconnected it and if I'm lucky, will have full use of my leg in a few joors."

"Joors?" Ironhide asked stupidly and Ratchet resisted the urge to throttle the mech.

"Yes joors, it's an illegal upgrade! Of course it-"

Ironhide yanked him down as a plasma shot ripped through wall just by his helm.

"-Frag!" Ratchet spat as he bolted after Ironhide, a mech with the same purple and green paint scheme as Scrapper cursed violently.

"Well now we're defiantly fragged." Ironhide spat as he shoved Ratchet ahead of him, firing off a few rounds behind him. A few nano-klicks later, loud alarms blasted though the hallway and Ratchet winced.

"Well there went any hope of stealth." Ratchet muttered darkly, running after Ironhide as he took the lead again.

"Like that was ever an option!" Ironhide yelled over his shoulder guard. "Woah!"

He skidded to a stop and Ratchet collided into him, cursing violently before Ironhide slammed him into the wall, a servo clapped over his mouth.

"Shut up!" He hissed.

"What do you mean they got out! Find them!" A voice, Scrapper, roared after a few silent nano-klicks. "And make sure they're online! Forget Megatron, I'm gonna rip Ratchet apart myself for this!"

Ratchet cringed under Ironhide's servo and the mech smirked at him.

"Mech, you really need to make better choices in your friends." He said in barely there whisper. Ratchet gave him a murderous glare before jerking his servo away.

"Let's just get out of here." Ratchet growled, gesturing for Ironhide to take the lead. The black mech smirked before glancing around the corner and starting down it, his cannon primed. His back to Ratchet, he didn't see the yellow medic tremble before composing himself and following the mech.

"Could you re-wire your subspace yourself?" Ironhide asked.

"If I had the time, probably." Ratchet replied, keeping his tone level.

"Then we better find a place." Ironhide said.

A shot rang out and Ratchet cried out in pain as a plasma blast ripped through his shoulder guard. He went down to his knees, clutching his gushing arm as fire raced up his systems. He was _so_ going to terminate Prime for this!

Ironhide instantly reacted, bringing his cannon around and taking aim at Scrapper's retreating form.

"No!" Ratchet yelled, jerking upright and slamming his servo into the bottom of the cannon. It went off but the shot went high and Ironhide cursed before grabbing Ratchet's arm and yanking him back to his peds, practically dragging Ratchet down the hall and around another corner.

Ratchet sank to the floor, gasping in pain.

"What do you mean 'no!" Ironhide roared in anger. "You glitch! He could have terminated us both!"

"He's my gang, Guard." Ratchet spat. "Like you would ever understand loyalty!"

Ironhide reared back like he had been struck and for a moment Ratchet almost felt sorry for what he had said.

"Ratchet, you and that Autobot are never going to get out of here functional!" Scrapper yelled.

"Wanna bet 'Con!" Ironhide spat angrily, flattening his frame against the wall.

"Make you a deal Autobot. Leave the medic and I might just let you get a running start." Scrapper said. "After all, Megatron doesn't know you're here and why would you care for a working class scum like him?"

At the look Ironhide shot Ratchet the medic thought for one spark stopping moment that the Guard would leave him. But then Ironhide scowled.

"Not a chance 'Con." Ironhide snarled, peering around the corner. "I may hate him but I hate you more."

"Gee thanks." Ratchet muttered, digits working to seal off the shredded lines in his shoulder guard.

"Too bad for that." Scrapper continued.

"Come on Scrapper, it doesn't have to be like this!" Ratchet called out, wincing as he sealed an energon line.

"You know it does Ratchet!" Scrapper spat. "You know firsthand what they've done to us!"

"Sterling's wrong and so is Megatron! There has to be a different way than trying to terminate each other." Ratchet continued.

"There is no other way! Get it through your processor!" Scrapper yelled, his anger reaching a new height. "You're either with us or against us!"

Ratchet flinched, jaw clenching in grief at what Scrapper was saying.

"Scrapper I'm begging you-"

"And I'm warning you! There will be War and you will be on the wrong side of it!"

Ratchet dropped his helm, his frame tense with grief as he reached for the back of his neck.

"He's got friends. I can sense them." Ironhide warned, his tone surprisingly neutral as he glanced at Ratchet. The medic didn't respond as he slowly got back to his peds, energon still dripping down his arm.

"I fixed my subspace. Let's just get out of here." Ratchet hissed, weakly clutching his arm. Ironhide nodded before rapidly firing off a few shots down the hallway.

"Come on!" He yelled and the medic shot forward in his alt form, energon dripping from his undercarriage. Ironhide took off after him and they bolted down the hall. At one point Ironhide shot past the medic to ram another purple and green mech.

"Those are the gates! We're almost there!" Ironhide called as they skidded around a corner.

Only for a huge mech to be blocking their way. Ironhide skidded to a stop, drifting to keep his bulk between the mech and Ratchet.

"Longhaul, you have to listen to me!" Ratchet pleaded again. "We were in the same gang you _have_ to understand this isn't right!"

"Scrapper's in charge now." The mech said, his gun held loosely at his side. "The power's gone to his helm. But more importantly he's forgotten what mattered."

"You gave me the faulty cuffs." Ratchet said quietly.

"I will admit, I didn't think you'd free the Autobot." Longhaul said with a harsh chuckle. "But then again, you were always the odd one."

"Our gang was full of odd ones." Ratchet replied. "We were all bait-metal remember?"

"This is your last warning Ratchet." Longhaul continued. "And you can tell your Prime this as well. We will finish what was started. Or we will terminate trying."

"Longhaul-"

"I suggest you get going. I haven't seen that mech that mad in a long time." Longhaul muttered, deliberately turning his back on the two mechs to punch in a code on the locks. The huge doors slid open with a creak and he stepped to the side.

"Head due south. There's an Autobot base there." Longhaul said before priming his weapon.

"Shoot him." Ratchet ordered and Ironhide sputtered in shock.

"First you tell me not to shoot, then you tell me to shoot! Make you your fraggin mind!" Ironhide spat.

"He'll be charged for treason. Shoot him." Ratchet repeated, struggling to keep his voice level.

"Suit yourself." Ironhide said before he transformed, his cannon humming, and shot the mech.

Ratchet hissed as the blast ripped into Longhaul's hipbolt. It wasn't enough to terminate the mech but it would put him out of commission for a long time. The big mech howled in agony, collapsing as he dropped his gun and Ironhide launched back into his altmode, racing for the exit. Ratchet hesitated just a moment before he took off after Ironhide.

xxXXxx

Ratchet sat alone at a table in the recoom, a cube of medical grade sitting in front of him untouched. After the mission, they'd made it to the Autobot base, jumped on a transport and headed back to Iacon. Ratchet then proceeded to chew out Optimus before reporting to medbay to have his shoulder fixed.

The templating was still tender as he ran his digits over the fresh welds and considered having the cube the CMO had insisted.

But the images of Springer, of that Decepticon Ironhide had shot at point blank range, what Scrapper, his old gang member, had said kept repeating itself in his processor.

The last thing he wanted was to even _think_ about touching the stuff. He'd seen enough energon this orn.

With a tired and grief filled groan he dropped his helm into his servo, hissing under his breath.

The sound of glass being set on the table caught his attention and he glanced up in surprise to see Ironhide settle into the chair across from him, a bottle of rich blue energon in servo and two empty shot glasses in his other servo.

"Figured you could use a real drink and not that medical slag." Ironhide said with a smirk, handing a glass to Ratchet.

The medic returned it, reaching for the glass as Ironhide poured the high-grade.

"You know medic, Ratchet…" Ironhide said before hesitating. "You're not so bad for a miner."

To his complete surprise Ratchet threw back his helm and laughed for the first time in what felt like metacycles.

"You're not so bad yourself Guard." He said, holding his glass up for a toast. Ironhide clinked his glass against Ratchet's but paused a moment.

"To monsters." Ironhide said to Ratchet's shock. "And the friends that chase them away."

Ratchet couldn't help but laugh again. It had been far too long since he had heard that toast.

"I still dont like you." Ratchet said firmly.

"And I still don't trust you." Ironhide countered with a laugh. Once against they clinked glasses before tossing the shots back and poured another round.

* * *

 **And for more clarification, feel free to ask all the questions you want, doesn't mean ill give you a straight answer ;)**

 **Important notes,**

 **-The Constructicons do not combine yet as I have my own ideas for that.**

 **-As alike Ironhide and Ratchet are, there is no way i can wrap my head around the fact that they would get along right off the hop. And quite frankly, this is way more fun.**

 **-and of course, hope you like it Teckmouse6533 :)**

 **Hopefully I'll get the next chapter of TMJ:A up this Sunday but my muse just took off in another direction. Maybe with one thing off my plate I'll get back on track.**


	2. Drunken Dare

**Ok, so I'm supper paranoid about this one because Triplechangerspeedster1 requested i use three of her OC's. This is the first time I've written someone else's characters and then i went and did three of them at once. Because why on earth would i simplify things and only do one. Anyways, s/he gave me permission to tweak them a bit to better fit into my universe and with the prompt from her fic 'Sideswipe and Sunstreaker present: A Guide to Living with Cybertronain' of rule 59, this is what happened.**

 **This is the oneshot for the 200th review by Triplechangerspeedster1.**

 **Triple, i really hope i didn't screw Niner, Nova and Nexus up to badly and i hope you like it.**

* * *

Rule 59: Do not ever spike the regular energon with Trio Brew. We need High Command to remain sober so the rest of us don't have to deal with Galloway and the other politicians.

Trio Brew is the most potent, tank corroding high grade currently on base. And also the most illegal. Because Prowl has been unable to find the still as of yet cubes still appear at every party. However, seeing as just one cube can make most mechs overcharged and three can induce the unfortunate falling in to the realm of unconsciousness (see Lennox, we can use human words!) there is a strict ban on it's consumption. This goes for all mechs and femmes on and off the base. So stop spiking the regular energon with the blasted stuff!

xxOOxx

Ironhide glanced up sharply at the crash that came from the other side of the medbay doors. Pausing momentarily, he debated investigating when the doors exploded open, a mass of dark blue, purple, red, and gold tumbling out into the hall in a tangle of limbs, wings and tails.

" _Get out!"_ Ratchet's familiar roar quickly followed as Ironhide ducked a wrench as the mechs scrambled to their peds, laughing as they took off down the hall.

Nervously Ironhide peered into the medbay and froze.

"And what," Ratchet snarled, servo gripping another wrench as he gave Ironhide a scathing glare, "do you want."

"The Alleybots again?" Ironhide asked, daring to venture farther into the room and avoiding staring at anything for too long.

"The what?" Ratchet growled.

"The Teraxians. They found out that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are always referred to as 'The Twins' so they decided they wanted to be called something." Ironhide explained.

"And they came up with Alleybots?" Ratchet asked with a scowl. "You're kidding me."

Ironhide shrugged.

"Could be worse."

Ratchet glared at the mech before glancing down at himself in disgust. His normal, neon shade of yellow was now splattered with optic smarting pink and green.

"There's bonding agent in here." He growled, scratching at the drying paint on his servo. "It's going to take joors to get this slag off."

"Who'd have thought those three would be almost worse than the Twins." Ironhide said with a chuckle, the fact that Ratchet hadn't hit him more than enough motivation start to relax and set his battle coding on standby.

"They're from Teraxius." Ratchet deadpanned. "We have enough issues with the other beast-frames around here, we didn't need to pick those three up as well."

"And what, leave them so the Cons could finish Niner off? He's already mute and deaf from that." Ironhide continued with a frown. "They may be big but they're still young."

"They survived this long on their own."

"Its not the Autobot way." Ironhide replied.

Ratchet growled again, frosting Ironhide with a glare before moving to one of the counters.

"If they at least looked up to someone who had an ounce of respect." He said, slamming a drawer for emphasis. "We wouldn't have these issues. Or atleast not nearly as many of them."

"Fine, so Niner, Nexus and Nova wanting to grow up to be just like the Twins may have some issues farther down the line-"

"May?! Are you color blind or something?!" Ratchet squawked in outrage. Ironhide chuckled, glancing away as he shook his helm.

"I think it suits you quite frankly."

With a yelp he clutched the dent in his helm the thrown wrench had left and glared at Ratchet. The yellow, pink and green mech was more than happy to return the smoldering glare he was known for with a snarl.

"Get out of my medbay!"

xxXXxx

Niner didn't stop running till he was well out of throwing range. Judging from the vibrations of the mechs behind him, neither did his brothers or the Twins.

Finally, a safe distance down the hallway, he slowed, glancing over his shoulder guard at the other four mechs to make sure they didn't run into him. While he was taller than his brother Nova by helm and shoulders, his thin, lanky frame was the lightest of the five and he had ended up at the bottom of the pileup in the hall. He didn't need that happening again. Nexus alone weight probably four times as much as him.

The beast-like mech hissed quietly, lip plates pulled back to show off razor sharp denta in a grin.

" **That, will so be worth the brig time."** He said over the comms. Sideswipe collapsed in a heap, holding his sides as he howled with laugher.

"That- that- that-"

He trailed off into hysterical laugher before reaching over and yanking on Nova's tail. The smaller mech responded with a snarl and a swipe at Sideswipe's helm that the red mech just managed to duck as he continued to laugh.

"Oh come on Nova!" Nexus said, shoving the mech and sending him staggering into the wall. "That was hilarious!"

"He is so going to terminate us." Sunstreaker spoke up, arms crossed across his chassis and the faintest of smirks on his features.

"But it was so worth it!" Nexus exclaimed, the youngest of the Alleybots practically jumping in place he was so excited.

Niner lashed his long tail to the side before jerking his helm down the hall.

" **Come on, Red's gonna tell on us and then we're really scrap metal."** He said, hissing low under his breath to catch their attention.

The spines on the back of Nova's helm and neck flared, showing off the bright blue coloring as he straighten before settling.

"Niner's right, come on, we better lay low for a bit."

"Speaking of, we're late for shift ya glitch." Sunstreaker said, reaching over to swipe his claws along the side of Sideswipe's helm.

"Ow! Yeah yeah! Monitor duty, whoopy." He muttered, getting to his peds with a huff.

"Hey don't forget to hack the camera!" Nexus called as they started to walk away.

Niner hissed, slamming a clawed servo over his optics as Nova spun to their youngest brother with a snarl and lunged at him. Despite the mech being twice his height, Nova managed to tackle the other mech to the ground. With a startled squawk, Nexus lashed out, clawed servos digging into his brother's plating as Nova grabbed his pointed audios.

"Ya glitch! Yell it out to all the officers why don't ya!" Nova yelled into one, making Nexus cringe.

"Ee 'as ah point."

Niner glanced over his wings as he detected the other mech walk up and shifted his tail out of the way. Nova and Nexus were caught completely off guard and both beast-mechs shot to their peds, fangs bared and helm-spines standing on end, Nexus' tail lashing the walls.

Jazz held up his servos in surrender, subconsciously sidestepping behind Niner.

"Easy Allehmechs." He said with a slag-eating grin. "Ah bring ya no 'arm."

"It's Alley _bots_ Jazz." Nova corrected with a scowl as he settled his flared midnight blue armor. "What do you want."

"Heard ya pranked tah Hatchet." He continued with a grin.

"Oh Primus, you should have seen the look on his face when those paint bomb went off!" Nexus cackled, the towering mech throwing his helm back with a barking laugh.

"Ya set it?" Jazz asked, glancing sideways at Niner. The dark blue mech gave another feral grin, bat-like wings flaring slight in pride.

"Ya get caught?"

His wings wilted as he shot a murderous look at Nexus. The bigger mech winced, wings shifting up and wrapping around his shoulder guards.

"It was an accident." He mumbled, still ginning impishly.

Niner scowled again before throwing his arms out toward his two brothers and shot Jazz a look that said 'see what I have to work with?!'

Jazz chuckled before sobering in an instant even though he was still grinning. Niner cocked him helm, knowing something was going on.

"Ya mechs did good." Jazz said and Nexus immediately puffed out, wings flaring to their limit and blocking the entire hallway. "Fo' amateurs."

"What?!" Nova squawked as Nexus wilted. Niner shot his mentor an offended look as he hissed.

"What do ya mean amateurs!" Nova demanded, his armor bristling. "We just painted Ratchet pink!"

"And green!" Nexus added.

"Yeah an good on ya fo' tha." Jazz said, examining his claws. Niner rolled his optics and struck.

The smaller silver mech had no time to even squawk as Niner grabbed him by the throat, easily pinning the smaller mech against the wall. His lipplates pulled back in a silent snarl even as his wings arched over his back as both Nexus and Nova walked up on either side.

"Alright alrigth!" Jazz squeaked, one servo up, the other gripping Niner's bracer. "Ah'm just sayin' there's ah prank tha' only tah best can pull off."

"Like like like like?!" Nexus begged.

"Make Twitch 'ere let meh go-"

Nova cuffed Niner over the helm and the lanky mech dropped Jazz with a hiss.

"Get tah officers overcharged." Jazz said with a grin, rubbing his throat.

"What do you mean?" Nova asked.

"Exactly that. Tah Prime, Prowler, Magnus, Ironhide, Ratchet, and Red Alert. Get them all overcharged." Jazz explained.

"All six?"

"All six. Twins ain't even pulled tha' one off." Jazz continued with his signature smirk.

"And if we do it?" Nova asked, crossing his arms over his chassis.

"Ah take ya monitor shifts fo' tah next groon." Jazz said confidently. "An' Ah'll make sure ya get off on any an' _all_ pranks."

" **And if we don't?"** Niner asked suspiciously.

"Well, Ah heard ya got some o' tha 'igh grade o' yours' 'idin' somewhere?" Jazz asked with a sly look.

"Triobrew?"

"Tha's tah stuff."

Nova scowled, eying Jazz.

"How much." He demanded.

"Say, enough for any an' _all_ parties weh might 'ave in tah next two groons?" Jazz asked.

"Primus that's a lot of 'grade." Nexus muttered. "Last us a long time. Prowl took the rest."

"Ya up fo' it?"

Niner shook his helm frantically. He didn't like the sound of this at all.

"Ah dare ya."

And they were screwed.

"Deal!" Nexus barked, sticking his clawed servo in Jazz's faceplates.

"Ya got 24 joors from tah first mech ya get over-charged." Jazz said. "Oh, an' Ah plan on 'aving a big party in a cycle, Ah 'ope ya finish befo' then so we can 'ave ya 'grade. Have fun."

With that' Jazz turned and walked away.

" **You two are so screwed!"** Niner hissed to his brothers.

"What, cant' be that hard." Nova scoffed and Niner fought he urge to strangle his middle brother.

" **Word of advice. If Jazz of all mechs dares you to try anything!? Say no!"**

"So when do we start?" Nexus asked, claws tapping together excitedly.

ooOOoo

"This is never going to work!" Nova yelled, pacing Nexus's room and his wings flared in annoyance. Nexus was perched on the edge of his berth, dark blue optics glued to Nova's pacing form while Niner was slumped in a chair, wings draped loosely over the back as he watched Nova with a scowl.

" **Your fault."** He grumbled.

"You could have warned us he would trick us!" Nova shot back, his helm spines rising a few inches. Niner flared his own blue helm spines in a warning that he could and _would_ beat his brother's aft into the ground.

" **I did. But you didn't listen to me."** He said. **"Now he's gonna go rat us out to everyone that we couldn't pull off a prank."**

"So we'll pull it off." Nexus said simply.

"How!" Nova snapped. "Ok fine, maybe Ironhide and Ratchet would be the easiest to get drunk, Primus knows they already have drinking issues-"

"So challenge them." Nexus interrupted.

Niner stiffened, optics snapping to the youngest brother.

"What?" Nova asked.

"Ask who can hold their 'grade better. Then slip 'em Triobrew to completely flatten them." Nexus said with a shrug of his wings.

"So how do we get the others? Prime, Magnus, Prowl and Red." Nova asked, finally stopping his pacing.

"What if we somehow spiked a staff meeting?" Nexus continued.

Niner shook his helm.

" **First mech to take a sip will know something's off."** He said. **"And Red will probably blow a fuse."**

"So what, we spike the others individually?" Nova asked.

" **Red we'll have to. But he doesn't let anyone near his energon except-"** Niner cut himself off with a grin. **"Except Inferno."**

"The mech like's his 'grade." Nexus said with another shrug. "Switch it out somehow?"

"But that goes back to the first problem. Our grade is far too dark to be mistaken for the regular stuff." Nova said with a sigh.

"Wheeljack?" Nexus suggested.

" **I'll talk to him, he likes me."** Niner said with a cheeky grin.

"Waitaklick!" Nova interrupted, whipping around to face his brothers. "Inferno's been in the medbay since that scuffle with the 'Cons."

"Yeah so?" Nexus asked. Nova gave him a flat look.

" **Red will be taking his energon in the officer's lounge."** Niner supplied.

"Oh! So then we can get Prime and Magnus as well!" Nexus said with a grin.

"Yes you glitch." Nova muttered darkly. "Think we could get the Twins involved to act as distractions?"

" **Course we can. Jazz never said we couldn't."** Niner said with a fanged grin.

"So what's the plan boss." Nexus asked.

" **You'll get Ratchet and Ironhide-"** Niner ordered, pointing at Nexus.

"Why do I have to do them!" He immediately protested.

" **Because I'd like to see you get within 100 feet of Jazz without him sensing you."** Niner shot back. **"And Nexus was dropped on his helm. He has a legitimate excuse for standing in the hallway and staring off into the distance like a glitch while he waits for Prime, Magnus and Red to go into the lounge."**

Nexus gave Nova his best 'innocent' look and Nova scowled, crossing his arms.

"Fine." He huffed. "When are we going o do this?"

" **Inferno's out of the medbay in five orns."** Niner supplied.

"So we have four orns to pull the biggest prank of our lives off." Nexus clarified.

"This is gonna be awesome!"

xxXXxx

Niner knocked quietly knocked on the blast doors before sending a ping to Wheeljack. A moment later the doors slid open and the tri-colored mech waved him in. He immediately turned away and Niner groaned.

" **Comms Wheeljack! I'm deaf remember?"** Niner said. The tri colored mech froze, then turned back to Niner, the panels on the sides of his helm flashing sheepishly.

" **Sorry. Forgot about that."** The mech replied, wringing his servos nervously. Niner relaxed his lanky frame in an effort to make the other mech relax. Most feared him and his brother's exotic and predatory looks but while Nova loved the anxious looks mechs gave him and Nexus flat out didn't care, Niner just wanted to fit in and have a good time.

" **What can I do for you Niner?"** Wheeljack asked.

" **I need a dye of some kind."**

" **Dye? For what?"** Wheeljack asked in confusion.

" **So ah…"** Niner trailed off sheepishly before subspacing a cube of their famous triobrew. Wheeljack immediately stepped back, servos up as he shook his helm.

" **No. Not a chance, the last time I help you Alleybots make that stuff-"**

" **We don't need supplies."** Niner interrupted carefully. Wheeljack paused before nodding for him to continue. **"I want something that will lighten the color. Preferably to that of normal 'grade?"**

" **Don't want Prowl finding it?"** Wheeljack asked.

" **Something like that."** Niner replied.

" **Fine."** Wheeljack said, deflating in a sigh. **"I'll see what I can do under the radar."**

Niner forced his damaged throat to form a chirp of thanks as his wings ached over his helm non-threatening. **"You're the best Wheeljack!"**

" **Yeah yeah yeah…"** Wheeljack muttered, waving it off. **"Don't thank me yet."**

" **You'll figure it out, you can build anything!"** Niner continued before turning to leave. The mech was completely taken and he knew without a doubt they would be able to pull this off.

" **This is so going to work."** Niner said over the comm to his brothers.

" **Awesome!"**

" **Just make sure he doesn't rat us out."** Nova huffed.

" **Just figure out your part of the plan Nova and leave this to me."** Niner said, gracefully moving down the hall with a grin. **"Leave this to me."**

xxXXxx

"Oh please, Ratchet could outdrink Ironhide any orn." Sunstreaker scoffed.

"Not a chance. Ratchet may be able to hold his 'grade but Ironhide was sparked drinking the stuff." Sideswipe defended. "Or so he says."

"But Ratchet's an ex-miner and those mechs know how to _drink._ " Nova interrupted. Sunstreaker snorted waving the shorter mech off.

"Doesn't mean anything." He said, snagging a cube of energon and heading toward a table not quiet across from the two mechs in question. "Besides Guards know how to drink as well. Must have if they had to answer to that Pit-spawn Sentinel."

"Yeah but I would still put my credits down on the Hatchet." Sideswipe said, sitting beside his brother so that Nova could watch the two mechs.

"I don't know I'm not convinced." Nova drawled, flexing his wigs before relaxing with his helm on his servo and his elbow joint on the table.

"Ha! Ratchet could drink twice as much as Ironhide." Sideswipe said firmly, and loud enough for the two mechs to hear.

"I think not." Ironhide interrupted, turning in his chair to glare at the three younger mechs.

"What's that supposed to mean!" Ratchet demanded. "I can drink you under the table."

"Yeah right you could." Ironhide shot back.

"You wouldn't stand a chance." Ratchet said, leaning back in his chair with a cocky smirk. "You couldn't outdrink me if I was half 'changer before you even touched a shot."

"You're on." Ironhide challenged, jabbing a digit at Ratchet.

" **Gotcha."** Nova said with a grin over the comms. **"Challenge accepted. My guess is that they will be completely overcharged by midnight."**

" **Copy that Nova."** Niner hissed in barely above a whisper even though he was on the comms.

" **Ooh! Am I next?!"** Nexus yelled, nearly deafening Nova.

" **Yes, you're next."** Niner said quietly.

xxXXxx

Nexus nearly jumped out of his armor when Nova's smooth voice came over the comms.

" **Gotcha. Challenge accepted. My guess is that they will be completely overcharged by midnight."**

" **Copy that Nova."** Niner whispered as Nexus fist-pumped.

" **Ooh! Am I next?!"** Nexus demanded over the comm, frame vibrating with glee.

" **Yes, you're next."** Niner said with a sigh. Nexus snapped the comm closed before sneaking out of his room and lumbering down the hall.

He glanced around, a confused look on his reptilian muzzle. As he figured, everyone ignored the hulking Teraxian in the middle of the hall. Distractedly, but his optics glued on the officer's lounge, he played with his long claws, glancing down at them when he miscounted for real.

"Nexus, is there a reason you're over here?"

The huge mech jumped, too distracted to snarl, to come muzzle to faceplate with Ultra Magnus.

"Sorry, just, waiting for someone." He replied haltingly, knowing Nova would murder him if he messed up.

"By the officer's lounge?" Magnus asked, cocking an optics ridge in obvious disbelief.

"Yeah." Nexus replied, pulling his wings close and giving the commander the biggest 'I'm not up to anything' look he could manage. As he knew, the commander sighed.

"Just stay off to the side them." Ultra Magnus muttered before moving toward the lounge. Nexus followed him with his optics to see him greet Optimus Prime and a twitchy Red Alert at the door. All three walked in to the lounge and Nexus flipped the switch he had hidden in his servo.

" **The Seekers are in the Nest. Repeat. The Seekers are in the Nest."** He hissed over the comm.

" **The what are in the** _ **what?!**_ **What in Pit are you talking about!"** Nova demanded.

" **I'm talking in code! Like Niner and the Twins!"** Nexus protested.

" **We don't sound anything like that."** Niner explained exasperated. **"I've told you that before."**

" **You did?"**

" **Yes."**

"… **You sure?"**

" **Oh for fraggin sakes…"** Nova sputtered. **"Are they there or not!"**

" **Yes they are! I said the-"**

" **Yeah yeah yeah, Niner you're up."** Nova said before he snapped the comm shut. Nexus pouted before he slunk forward as quietly as his bulk would let him. He stuck his helm into the recroom and couldn't help but bark a laugh.

Ultra Magus was passed out on the table, Red Alert blubbering beside him and the Prime snickering at himself. Abruptly the red and white mech shot to his peds, jabbing a digit toward Nexus.

"Spy!" He shrieked in an even higher pitch than usual. "I knew it I knew it there was a spy in here he's going to slit our throats in our recharge and let all the Decepticons in and they're gonna take over Iacon and destroy my command center and sweet Primus not my command center I have every camera in Iacon wired into that if the Decepticons got into they could win the War and we would all end up in the smelter or or or or or as slaves or scrap metal or just shot-"

"Red would you- you relax?" Optimus asked before randomly started snickering. He reached over, resting the empty- empty?!- cube on Magnus helm.

"I win." He said simply before dissolving into giggles.

"This isn't funny we will all end up disassembled for scrap metal and tortured and our processor ripped apart and every byte of data stripped from our memories and and and-" Red continued relentlessly. He took a step and promptly passed out faceplate first onto the floor with a ringing crash.

Optimus straighten to glace at the red and white mech before giggling again and snagging Magnus' nearly full cube.

"Ha! Take that Megatron!" Optimus said before tossing his helm back with a laugh.

" **I got them I got them! I did it!"**

" **Good for you, now shut up!"** Nova yelled.

" **Calm down Nexus, we're not out of the Sea yet."** Niner cautioned.

Nexus rolled his optics with a scowl before the sight of the three officers completely overcharged made him grin again. He quickly took a still shot as evidence before laughing again.

xxXXxx

Nova cautiously slunk into the medbay before grinning. There in Ratchet's office, the two mechs he was looking for were surrounded by empty energon cubes. Ironhide was passed out in a chair while Ratchet was belting out some mining song at a horrific volume.

" **I got them I got them! I did it!"**

Nova jumped at the loud yell before snarling.

" **Good for you, now shut up!"**

" **Calm down Nexus, we're not out of the Sea yet."** Niner's near silent voice replied before the comm shut.

Nova refocused on the two mechs and smirked. He'd found Ratchet's stash of 'grade a few cycles ago and Niner had switched the cube out for their triobrew. And now they were both completely tanked.

He quickly took a still shot before slinking off.

xxXXxx

Niner didn't move from where he had been hiding in the vents for the last three joors. Despite his large frame, his Teraxian origins enabled his to pull his armor far tighter against his frame then the average mech. Almost serpentine like he'd tucked his wings and slithered into the vents. Knowing that if he so much as vented too hard Prowl would catch him, he hadn't moved a piston since the mech walked into his office. And he didn't plan on moving anytime soon.

" **Gotcha. Challenge accepted. My guess is that they will be completely overcharged by midnight."** Nova said over the comm and Niner winced despite knowing there was no way Prowl could hear the comm.

" **Copy that Nova."** He replied.

" **Ooh! Am I next?!"** Nexus yelled cheerfully.

" **Yes, you're next."** Niner said quietly and the comm snapped close with a pop that made the mech wince again.

Right on que the door chimed and Jazz walked in. Prowl straightened in his chair, no doubt scowling. He said something and Niner hacked into the security cameras counting on the fact that Red would be in the officer's lounge. The weird, double view gave him both mech's faceplates but also gave him a processor ache.

"I dont appreciate you hacking my locks all the time." Prowl said, glancing back down at his reports. Jazz shrugged, flashing the black and white mech a grin that he didn't see as he pulled two cubes from subspace.

"But ya never put mo' then ah level fahve code on it." Jazz said, setting one cube on the desk before moving gracefully around to the other chair in the room and dropping in a sprawled out heap on it. Prowl shot the mech a glance over his datapad before reaching for the cube and taking a sip.

"Thank you." He said, setting it back down.

"No problem mah me-"

"Tracks you _glitch!_ "

"Hey watch where you're going yourself pretty mech!"

"Pretty mech?!"

"Oh now you've done it! Sideswipe let me go I'm gonna rip him a new exhaust pipe!"

"Not in front of Prowl's office!"

Prowl and Jazz both shot to their peds and bolted for the door. As soon as it slid shut Niner pulled the vent out, dropping into the office.

" **The Seekers are in the Nest. Repeat. The Seekers are in the Nest."** Nexus abruptly hissed over the comm and Niner jumped.

" **The what are in the** _ **what?!**_ **What in Pit are you talking about!"** Nova yelled.

" **I'm talking in code! Like Niner and the Twins!"** Nexus explained.

" **We don't sound anything like that."** Niner hissed in annoyance. **"I've told you that before."**

" **You did?"**

" **Yes."**

"… **You sure?"**

" **Oh for fraggin sakes…"** Nova sputtered. **"Are they there or not!"**

" **Yes they are! I said the-"**

" **Yeah yeah yeah, Niner you're up."** Nova said before he shut the comm off.

Quickly as possible Niner switched out the cubes for the two dyed ones. Just as fast he launched himself into the air with his tail and grabbed the edge of the vent and slithered in. Twisting in on himself in a way that would make anyone else cringe in pain, he turned around to slide the vent back in place and freeze.

" **I got them I got them! I did it!"** Nexus yelled over the comms.

" **Good for you, now shut up!"** Nova's sharp yell came back.

" **Calm down Nexus, we're not out of the Sea yet."** Niner hissed, focused entirely on the quiet office.

"-have ah lot o' nerve startin' ah fight right in officer country." Jazz grumbled, stalking back in and snagging his cube.

Niner watched nervously as Jazz slunk back to his chair with a huff and flopped down again.

"They've been strangely quiet after they paint bombed Ratchet." Prowl replied.

"Ha! Tha' was funny." Jazz snickered.

"I couldn't pay you to say that to his face."

"Not on ya life. But 'eh. Tah Twins an' those Alleybots keep ya life interesting." Jazz said before lifting his cube. "To the trouble makers tha' give us more issues than tah cons."

"And make your life a living pit." Prowl added before they raised their cubes and took a drink. Prowl's doorwings shot up before he coughed violently as he carefully set the cube off to the side.

"Sweet Primus that's triobrew!" jazz gasped, his voice a hoarse squeak.

"Jazz!" Prowl squawked as Jazz took another shot eagerly. The Praxian shot to his peds and immediately grabbed the table to stabilise himself, shaking his helm slightly.

" **Yes!"** Niner cheered over the comm to his brothers.

" **You didn't!"** Nova protested.

" **So did! Ha! I got Prowl 'charged!"** Niner continued over the comm before setting the cameras to record as Jazz continued to laugh hysterically when Prowl tried to take a step, miscalculated and ended up nearly falling. He quickly took a still shot before continuing to record.

" **This is fraggin priceless!"**

At that exact moment the alarms went off to signal a Decepticon attack.

" **Oh slag…"** Nova cursed as Niner soundly banged his helm against the vent.

xxXXxx

"Worth it." Sideswipe said, lounging on the bench. Sunstreaker snorted but judging by the unnaturally large grin he was wearing, he wasn't protesting being locked in a cell.

"Oh pit yes." Nova said, also grinning.

"So how long are we going to be in here?" Nexus asked, flaring his wings with a sigh before stretching out on his chassis on the floor. He easily reached halfway across the cell.

" **I don't think we ever are."** Niner said, watching Sunstreaker pace back and forth in the cell across from him and Nova.

"Yeah I think we're gonna be here for a while." Sunstreaker put in his two credits.

The brig door slid open and Nova turned toward the vibration as Jazz staggered into the brig, one servo on the wall.

"We did it we did it Jazz we _so_ did it!" Nexus yelled, shooting to his peds and flaring his wings to their full spread.

"You owe us big time mech! We even go _you_ overcharged!" Nova said with a challenging grin.

Jazz winced at the loud noise before bobbin his helm.

"Ya, ya yeah got everyone 'charged."

"Ha! We are triumphant!" Nexus howled.

"But ya do realise ya gonna be locked in 'ere fo' tah rest of ya life fo' duggin' tah officers an' nearly getting' us over run by Decepticons."

"But you have to do our monitor duty for the next groon." Nova objected.

Jazz grinned and Niner felt his armor flare in alarm.

"Ya gonna beh in 'ere fo tah next two groons."

"Aw frag. Sunstreaker spat.

"An then ya gonna beh on monitor duty fo' tah rest o' tah metacycle."

"Oh come on! But we won the bet!" Nexus protested.

Jazz grinned but this time it was a real one and not the 'I know you mechs are slag and I'm not' smirk he usually had.

"An' ya get mah full respect fo' that." He continued. "But ya ever get meh 'charged like tha' an Ah'll rip ya sparks out with mah claws. Got tha'?"

Niner threw the mech a quick salute and Jazz returned it before spinning on his ped, catching himself on the wall, and sauntering out.

"See ya in ah few groons mechs!" Jazz called over his shoulder guard before the door slid shut.

" **So still worth it."** Niner said as he turned back to his brothers. The two other Alleybots shared a look before letting out a deafening roar of laughter.

* * *

 **Again, hope you like it and see you all next sunday for TMJ:A.**

 **Read and review i love you guys.**


	3. Towers

**Ok, so technically this isn't a new one, it's a re-do of Towers, and under TMJ oneshots because this is technically part of the TMJ universe.**

 **But i had written it really fast and I needed to rewrite it anyways so here it is.**

 **For new readers, this is a tribute to 9/11 that I did... a year ago? and needed to re-write. A warning, Mirage is a bit of a snob at the end and what he 'says' is by no means my option on anything. I have no intentions of offending anyone and I hope I don't.  
**

 **Shouldn't need to say this but people will be people, no slash, only friendship.**

 **So, enjoy.**

* * *

" _Today we mourn 9/11. A day in American history no one will forget."_

I glanced at the screen curiously. I knew that the date was important to the humans at NEST, but I didn't know why.

I walked over to the scaffolding in the middle of the command room, resting a servo on the railing. Major William Lennox acknowledged me with a nod before his gaze slid back to the small computer screen before Epps.

" _The day that terrorists hijacked_ _American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 before flying them into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center."_

I felt my energon freeze in my veins at the simple statement.

" _At the same time,_ _American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon_ _and_ _fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was aimed for Washington DC. Flight 77 hit its mark, destroying the Western side of the Pentagon while Flight 93 was crashed in a field after her passengers sacrificed their lives to try and retake the plane."_

Lennox chose that moment to shift his weight, giving me a clearer view of the screen before him and Epps.

Smoke was billowing out of a towering skyscraper, its sister tower engulfed in flames as though it had just been struck.

 _-green fire erupted form the base of the East Tower_ -

I reared back from the railing at the overwhelming memory, shaking my helm sharply as though to force it back to where I had locked it.

Lennox turned to me in concern, confusion on his organic face.

"Mirage? You ok?" He asked, gaining Epp's attention. The black human spun in his chair but all it did was reveal the rest of the screen.

Of the shaking camera as the first tower started to collapse and the screams of people-

 _-screaming as millions of tons of steel fell-_

I had to get out.

The concrete walls were crushing me down and I had to get out!

Now!

I spun around and nearly collided with Optimus, just barely managing to dodge around him at the last nano-klick.

"Mirage! What-" He sputtered as I collapsed into my altmode, my tires already spinning before they had even hit the ground. The shriek of them catching and launching me forward triggered more memories-

 _-those are seekers!-_

-and I raced up the tunnel. The gate didn't even have a chance to lift as I came up the ramp at 90mph and transformed, twisting over the barricade before folding smoothly back into my altmode and plowing into traffic.

I nearly sideswiped a semi, the driver blaring his horn as I skidded past him. I activated my spark dampener before I was even a block from the base and raced out of the city as fast as I could, ignoring the earth based Enforcers struggling to keep up with me.

I knew that I would have a lot of explain to do but I didn't care, I had to run!

I activated my camouflage, the coding making my armor tingle before the upgrade charged to full power and I disappeared. With the police scanners playing in the background, I heard their yells of surprise and alarm before I floored it.

" _They're coming! Hurry!"_

I blew through traffic at 200 mph, forcing my engine faster and faster.

 _-fire and super-heated metal and burning energon flooded my vents-_

I lost control.

I was in a wooded area, the highway at some point narrowing to a two lane and I lost control on a corner.

I rolled hard at 289 mph, transforming subconsciously to try and slow, only to roll twice more and slam into a tree. Something ruptured in my thigh and I gasped at the pain, the old injury flaring up with more emotional pain then physical.

 _-something tore through my leg and I fell with a choked off scream of pain, energon pouring from the gaping wound in my thigh._

" _Mirage!" Jem yelled, skidding to a stop._

" _Help me! Don't leave me here!" I begged, trying to get up but my leg wasn't responding._

" _Come on! Hurry! He'll just slow us down!" Slider spat, grabbing Jem._

" _Don't leave me! Jem!"_

 _I managed to get up but tripped, unable to stop the scream of pain as my leg hit the ground. She didn't look back. Mechs were running everywhere and someone tripped over me. I gasped in pain, spots dancing before my optics as I pressed a servo to the leaking mess that was my thigh._

Energon started to leak though my digits and I started hyperventilating as I panicked.

It was happening all over again.

xxXXxx

"Fraggin-" Plasma spat, slamming a fist into the drab, olive green mech. His helm snapped to the side, energon dripping form cracked lip plates but judging from the grimace on Plasma's features, it had hurt him more than the other mech.

"Feel better?" I asked casually, leaning with my back against the alley wall, Jem curled into my frame. She had her arm around my lower back, her slim digits playing with my armor seams and sending thrills up my spinal column. I leaned farther into her and she giggled before those slim digits were back in my armor seams, teasing the wires and protoform underneath.

"-glitch." Plasma finished when he could feel his digits again. "I'm still fragged I lost the race."

"You would have beaten that Deadend any orn." Slider said, readjusting his grip on the mech's arms so he couldn't move.

"I know I could have. But thanks to this careless pit-spawn-" Plasma snarled before slamming his other servo into the mech's jaw again, "I couldn't even enter the race let alone win!"

I rolled my optics, pulling Jem closer. She hummed quickly, turning around so her back was pressed against my chassis and my arms were around her waist.

"So why is it his fault you didn't show?" Jem asked. "I was distracted."

Slider snorted with a gleam in his optics.

"Makin' out with lovermech over there." He said with a wolfish grin in my direction. I quickly flipped him a rude gesture I had seen one of the servants use against my sire and Slider barked a laugh.

"He hit Plasma turning onto the highway and the crashed ended with Plasma snapping his leg." I said causally. "He couldn't even transform for 24 joors so he couldn't show up and Deadend won the race."

I lowered my helm to plant kisses up Jem's neck cables. Her light blue armor fit perfectly against my royal blue and white frame.

"So how'd he track down careless here?" Jem asked, turning around so I could kiss her lip plates.

"I may or may not have snuck into that Autobot base and found his file." I replied with a mischievous grin. "Their security is pathetic."

"Says the mech that can turn invisible." Plasma said and I glanced up at him just in time to see him land another blow. I winced at the wet sound of the mech coughing up energon and made the mistake of locking optics with him.

His blue optics were completely calm, like getting beaten to a scrap by a couple of Elite mechs was a normal part of his life.

But then again, it probably was.

I quickly looked away, that relaxed gaze unnerving me far more than it should have. Most mechs cowered in fear if they even had the ball bearings to look us in the optics.

"What's the problem, scum," Plasma demanded, "too scared to make a sound?"

"No, I just don't have anything to say." The mech said in a calm voice despite the slight waver in it. No hate, no nothing.

"Raj?" Jem asked quietly when I stopped returning her affection. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Yeah, sorry." I mumbled before giving her a quick kiss.

"Nothing important!" Plasma demanded. "You should have paid for my repairs! Pit, you should have paid for it with your freedom! Doesn't take much for a mech like me to get a mech like you locked up for life."

"The reports don't blame me-"

"They should have!" Slider spat, tightening his armor cracking grip on the mech's arms. The mech gasped as his armor popped but remained intact.

"Hey, where's Dino. I thought he would be here." Jem asked suddenly.

"Huh?" I asked, dragging my gaze from the beating back to the femme in my arms.

"Dino. Where is he. He was pretty fragged off last orn when he left the race." Jem continued and I laughed.

"He got caught trying to sneak into the place completely overcharged." I said with a grin. "Sire flipped as you can imagine. I think Dino's still trying to get over the overcharge."

"Meh, his fault he wasn't quiet." Jem said, pressing against my chassis when I heard something over the normal din of Iacon.

"Mechs, hold up!" I ordered. Plasma paused, servo still cocked to hit the mech.

"What!" He snarled.

"You hear that?" I asked, the far off rumbling getting louder.

"Yeah, what is it?" Sider asked.

"That sounds like a shuttle." Jem said, stiffening against me as I glance up at the sky nervously. I had a really bad feeling about this.

"To low to be a shuttle if it's this close that we hear it." Plasma said, finally dropping his arm.

"Then what the frag is it doing." Slider demanded, shoving the dingy mech away from him. He fell against the alley wall with a grunt but didn't move other than to cradle his arm to his chassis.

"You don't think…" I trailed off. Plasma stared at me before he gave a bark of laugher.

"Decepticons?" He asked. "Oh please, they're a bunch of terrorist that shouldn't be taken seriously. They wouldn't dare touch Iacon."

"The Decepticons are not a joke." The mech spoke up and my optics snapped to him.

"Who asked you!" Slider demanded, turning and kicking the mech for good measure. I didn't say anything but I knew that he might have a point. The mech was one of those Autobots. They were fighting the Decepticons all the time.

"Maybe we should go home." Jem said nervously hugging herself. I wrapped an arm around her as we started out of the alley. I sensed Plasma and Slider come up behind us and I glanced at them as we walked out of the alley. Plasma had subspaced a rag and was trying to get the cheap paint of his digits. The olive color looked utterly horrible against his rich purple and grey frame. Slider had the same olive marks on his bracers and he was scrubbing at them as well.

A thunderous roar tore through the air and we instinctively ducked as a shuttle streaked past overhelm, far too low to the ground.

"What the frag is that dumbaft doing!" Slider yelled as I pulled Jem closer to me. The shuttle disappeared below the skyline and a moment later it abruptly pulled up as it neared the security dome over the Towers.

Like it was expecting it to not be there.

Then an explosion behind us rocked the ground.

I had heard the rumors.

That Silver, the miner that had led a rebellion almost a dozen metacycles ago had been executed in cold energon.

That the Gladiatorial Games in Kaon were an easy way to terminate troublesome mechs.

That the so called 'murders' in the rings were nothing more than starving mechs accused of stealing a few cubes of energon.

That Silver was very much online and out for revenge.

The Council said they could control mechs.

They said that things wouldn't get out of control.

But then Kaon had rallied behind the new Games Champion Megatron, a mech claiming to be the missing creation of Sentinel Prime.

Then all of a sudden, the rumors had started to become real.

Kaon fell first to the newly designated Decepticons.

Kalis was next to follow her sister city while Vos and the seekers quickly aligned themselves with the Decepticons.

Orion Pax, the younger creation of Sentinel, had bene declared the new Optimus Prime.

That Silver, Megatron's former mentor in the Games, had executed Sentinel's advisor and it had been broadcasted live across the planet.

Megatron had said that the only way for there to be freedom was to destroy the Council, the Primes, and what they stood for.

And now Iacon was under attack.

"Mirage! Run!"

I didn't need to be told twice as three seekers, trines I reminded myself, tore through the air far too low to the ground. The crack of a sonic boom nearly deafened us and I clapped my servos over my audios as they screamed past over helm.

Explosions behind us had all four of us spinning toward the direction the seeker had come to see columns of smoke and fire fill the sky.

Mechs and femmes around us were screaming in panic as more explosions shook the ground around us.

A skyscraper collapsed, an enormous cloud of smoke billowing into the air.

"Decepticons!" Someone yelled and I glanced up just as another seeker trine roared past.

The jagged purple insignia was stark against the mech's white wings and I felt an ice cold vice around my spark.

"They're coming! Hurry!"

Slider grabbed my arm and I took off after them, the road too full of frames to drive. Plasma quickly took the lead while Slider, Jem and myself stayed as close to him as possible as we ran toward the safety of the Towers. The security dome would stop any kind of attack those Decepticons could pull off. We would be safe there.

The smell of fire and super-heated metal and burning energon flooded my vents and I coughed on the heavy smell. Jem stumbled and I quickly pulled her back to my side before she fell. Gunfire ripped through the air around us as more explosions shook the ground.

I couldn't believe this was happening, we had been told that Iacon was safe, that they would never be stupid enough to attack Iacon.

But the blaster fire and explosions proved otherwise.

Something tore through my leg and I fell with a choked off scream of pain, energon pouring from the gaping wound in my thigh.

"Mirage!" Jem yelled, skidding to a stop.

"Help me! Don't leave me here!" I begged, trying to get up but my leg wasn't responding.

"Come on! Hurry! He'll just slow us down!" Slider spat, grabbing Jem.

"Don't leave me! Jem!"

I managed to get up but tripped, unable to stop the scream of pain as my leg hit the ground. She didn't look back. Mechs were running everywhere and someone tripped over me. I gasped in pain, spots dancing before my vision as I pressed a servo the leaking mess that was my thigh.

"Well, well, well." A terrible voice sneered and my attention snapped to the dark grey mech with the vicious red optics glaring at me as he stalked over. Gritting my denta, I forced myself up but my leg couldn't hold my weight and I fell with a whimper, struggling to stay conscious.

"What's the matter royal, wrong end of the caste system?" He asked, his grip on the gun tightening as it started to glow white hot. The jagged purple Decepticon insignia on his chassis practically glowed from the fire surrounding us, leering down at me.

"Seekers may have drawn energon but you're mine." The Decepticon rasped as he raised the gun level with my helm. I flinched away, waiting for the gun to go off and seal my fate.

The gun went off and a spray of fluid hit me.

In confusion and dumb shock I glanced back at the Decepticon in time to see his legs buckle under him and collapse to his side, a gaping hole in the side of his helm and energon and internal circuitry everywhere.

It was the first time I had seen a terminated mech up close.

I scrambled away from the gory sight as fast as I could, energon and other fluids making the ground slick under my servos. A rough servo grabbed my shoulder guard and I twisted around in dumb terror expecting another Decepticon.

But it was the olive green mech that Plasma had beat up.

"You alright!" He demanded, the gun in his servo still smoking. I couldn't even respond, the shock of being shot, that Decepticon nearly executing me, and seeing the terminated mech was too much.

As though the mech understood me, he gave me a weak smile before crouching down to examine my leg. He hissed lowly in sympathy before prodding the torn edge of the wound. I nearly passed out, the cry of pain getting past my lip plates whether I wanted it to or not.

"The shot severed an energon line." The mech said after a nano-klick. "I'm no medic so this will hurt. You'd better stay conscious to watch out back."

I jerked my helm in a nod before he pulled out a small medkit from subspace.

When he started welding the templating on I nearly blacked out again but gritted my denta and tried not to move too much.

"Done, come on, we have to get to cover." The mech said, grabbing my bracer with an energon slick servo. My energon. I tried not to purge as the feeling of energon seeping between my armor made my tanks roll. He dragged me to my peds and I stumbled, heavily favoring my bad leg.

Another trine of seekers screamed past and I watched in horror as they headed for the Towers at full speed. At the last possible moment they banked away from the Towers.

"At least the Dome is still holding." The mech growled before glancing behind us frantically. "The others should be here! We're completely outnumbered!"

"What others." I managed to gasp.

"So you do speak." The mech said with a forced chuckle. "The seekers. Silverbolt and-"

The mech was cut off as something exploded behind us, throwing us both though the air and I landed hard on the ground. Glass and debris rained down on me as I covered my helm, my audios ringing from the explosion. As soon as the mech yanked me back to my peds I knew that the patch had torn and I clapped a servo back to the wound, trying not to cry out again.

"Fraggit that was a close call." The mech said, scrambling through the debris back to my side. Energon was leaking from a deep gash in his shoulder guard and I could see a jagged shard of metal imbedded in the joint.

Another terrible shriek tore through the air but it wasn't a missile. I watched in shock as two seekers collided midair, both screaming at each other as they clawed at each other's wings. They broke apart just feet above the ground and the smallest of the pair slammed into the ground and didn't get back up. The second seeker managed to roll the hard landing off, razor sharp ped claws gouging the road as he slid to a stop and shot back to his peds. Bright blue optics locked on them as he flared his white armor in an aggressive manner.

"You alright!" He demanded, optics darting around constantly. "You're damaged."

"I'm fine, what's going on Silverbolt, there are 'Cons everywhere." The mech asked.

"I don't know, we just got here. Prime's on his way but the road's been shot to pit and back and I don't know if any ground bound mechs can even get through." The seeker said before his bracer spilt apart and he spun around to shoot a charging Decepticon. "Starscream and his armada are ripping the city to shreds."

"Targets?"

"Who knows? The Hall of Records is being bombed, the Estates, most of the outer rings, the industrial sectors, there's no pattern. Nothing. Prowl's ready to blow a fuse." The seeker said before he finally noticed me.

"You gonna stay online?" He demanded, optics hardening.

I nodded dumbly as the seeker straightened to his full height and towered over me.

"Then get moving, we can only hold them off for so long." The seeker snarled before jumping into the air, transforming and blasting off with another deafening warscream.

"Come on, if we can get inside that security dome we'll be alright." The mech said, offering me his servo. I accepted it without thinking, letting him pull me to my peds and steading me as my leg gave out.

As fast as I could go we headed for the Towers. Blaster fire and missiles continued to rain fire and shrapnel everywhere and the stench of burning energon and smoke filled the air. A mech screamed in pain as a Decepticon ran him though and when he turned to us, the mech beside me went rigid.

"Frag…" The mech muttered, his gun charging up. "You sure you can't transform at all?"

"I doubt it." I said, staring at that deep red visor as a wicked smirk cracked the mech's faceplates. A huge mass of a black mech came out of nowhere to tackle the Decepticon with a savage yell.

"Hound! Get him out of here!" The mech snarled as the two rolled across the ground, fists and blades flying. The mech threw my arm around his shoulder guards and we took off toward the Towers.

A low thrum filled the air and I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Come on, we have to go!" The mech yelled. "Our best bet is those Towers!"

I couldn't answer him.

The shuttle was far too low.

I hadn't seen it until it breached the skyline, smoke billowing around it as it roared toward the Dome.

The security dome suddenly flared white, sparking a few times before dissolving.

The shuttle flew straight into the base of the East Tower.

It exploded, the green fire a dead giveaway that the shuttle had been filled with explosive chemicals as plumes of smoke spilling into the ash streaked sky.

"Primus no…!" The mech beside me gasped.

I could only stare at it in horror.

Another shuttle came over the horizon. It struck half way up the North Tower.

It also exploded in green fire.

"No!" I heard myself scream.

Then I remembered my brother.

" **Dino!"** I screamed over the comms. But all I got was static. I took a lurching step toward the burning Towers.

"Wait, what you are doing!" The mech yelled, grabbing my arm.

I shoved him off with a savage snarl.

"My brother is in there!" I spat, turning just in time to see a third shuttle hit halfway up the East Tower.

I could hear the groan of over stretched metal from here and horror turned to dumb shock as the Tower started to lean.

And lean.

And lean.

With a shriek of tearing metal it gave way, the Tower falling and slamming into the already damaged North Tower.

It started to collapse as well, the once pride and joy of Iacon's skyline tipping and falling into the crowds with a boom that shook the planet, kicking up metal shards and glass into my faceplates.

My vents were starting to choke from the dust in the air, the horrible smell of burnt metal getting worse.

"Dino!" I scream again, only to find the mech holding my arm again.

"We have to get back! There's another bomber coming!" The mech barked. I tried to jerk free but I couldn't find the strength as the forth shuttle hit the West Tower, also at the base.

Then a fifth.

Then a sixth.

The Towers screamed as they fell, hundreds of mechs and femmes crushed beneath the falling Towers and slaughtered under the guns of the Decepticons as Iacon was overrun.

xxXXxx

"Mirage!"

xxXXxx

Energon was everywhere. The mech had shoved me up against a building at one point, rubble from the South Tower slamming to the ground where we had been mere klicks before.

"No no no-" I repeated, gripping my helm in my servos as if I could make the entire orn go away.

"Hey! Listen to me!" The mech yelled, jerking my servos away from my helm and forcing me to look him in the optics.

"You're online, we're both online! Come on! We have to keep moving! The Decepticons are retreating and the Autobots are here in full force!"

xxXXxx

"Mirage! Mirage talk to me! Come on mech!"

xxXXxx

They were gone.

The Towers were gone.

Nothing but a massive pile of metal and crushed frames and destruction.

The mech had pulled me to my peds again but my frame had gone limp.

I just wanted to collapse.

Wanted to offline.

Wanted to erase what I had seen.

Wanted to forget.

Wanted my brother.

Dino.

Where was he!

xxXXxx

A hard slap shocked me out of the past.

I was slumped on the side of the road in the ditch, energon trickling down my leg, the tree fallen to the ground behind me.

I had hit it.

I lost control and hit it.

"Mirage, fraggit snap out of it! You're scaring me!"

I forced my optics up to the familiar grey and olive green faceplates.

xxXXxx

They was streaked with energon.

The mech had a nasty gash across his helm, the energon dripping down his faceplates from shrapnel that he had shoved me out of the way of.

He had taken the explosion for me.

Why.

It was my fault Plasma managed to track him down. If I hadn't snuck into the Autobot base, he would never had found him.

"Which Tower was your brother in." The mech asked, brushing energon from his optics with the back of his servo.

"Nor… North." I stammered. The mech got to his ped with a wince.

When had I sat down? Or had I fallen.

"I'll try and find him, the Decepticons are retreating but there isn't enough medics on site. Wait here." The mech said, starting to walk away.

I would be alone.

"No!" I gasped, lunging for his bracer.

The mech spun back to me in surprise.

Primus I was weak.

"Please don't leave me." I begged, images of my friends abandoning me flashing though my processor. "Please don't leave me alone."

The mech didn't move but I couldn't release him even if I wanted to.

But I couldn't look him in the optics. Not after seeing that steady gaze as he was being beat up and yet I still did nothing.

"They left you behind. Those mechs." He said finally.

I couldn't answer. My pride wouldn't let me.

Screams sill filled the air of the wounded and the ones still online to morn for their old lives. The mech shifted and I snapped terrified optics up to his calm blue ones. Throughout the entire battle he had always remained calm with that easy smile on his faceplates.

"I'll stay." He said, sliding to the ground beside me. I shifted closer to him, my frame trembling and numb with shock. My leg was still leaking but I didn't care. I needed to find my brother, try and find survivors but I couldn't move.

I started to sob.

xxXXxx

A rough servo was rubbing my back, working between my shoulder guards and up my neck cables to the base of my helm and back down.

I took another shuddering vent, my frame finally started to calm down as I cried myself dry.

"You're alright Raj. You survived that. You've survived worse. Dino is fine, we found him remember?"

"I can't do this." I whispered. "The memories keep coming back, I can't handle them."

"That's why we're here Mirage. That's why I'm here. It's what friends do."

xxXXxx

They found Dino buried in the rubble almost a full cycle after the- they fell.

Medics were called in from every corner of Cybertron. My leg was repaired at the Autobot base but I didn't know what had happened to the olive green mech.

Dino was in stasis for almost a groon.

He said that he had been sleeping off the orn before's party. The only warning he had gotten was when he had fallen off of the berth when the- it started to collapse.

He said that I was weak.

I kept having nightmares so I was weak.

But he didn't know what I had heard.

What I had smelt.

What I _saw_.

Saw mechs crushed before your very optics.

Heard their final screams.

Had their energon on your frame.

Had a gun point-blank at your helm.

He didn't understand why I kept hanging around that working class medic, looking for the mech.

I needed to ask him why.

Why had he helped me?

Why had he risked his life for me when I refused to help him?

Why had he stayed by my side when I wept and sobbed for my life and home?

He found me first.

He had been repaired, sent back to active duty.

He was one of their scouts.

One of their best apparently.

He had turned away from me.

"Wait!" I called after him, walking faster to get to him.

I saw his armor flare a bit.

It was back like before the attack.

I was an Elite.

And he was the scum we walked over to get more power.

"You… you saved my life. When… when the- when they fell." I said quietly.

"Yeah. Yeah I did." The mech replied.

"Why!" I blurted finally.

He looked up at me in surprise.

"Why? Why what?"

"Why did you help me when I refused to stop Plasma?" I asked dropping my gaze to the floor. I never felt this way, this… subdued. I hated owing favors and I owed this mech my life..

The mech was silent but I could feel his optics watching me.

"Because to me, when I saw you leaking on the street, it looked like you needed a friend in life more than anything." The mech said in his calm and laid back voice. "And risking your spark for another is what friends do."

xxXXxx

Hound.

The mech's designation was Hound.

My optics finally cleared and I was able to focus on his distraught faceplates.

"You're scarring me Mirage." Hound said, his servos still painfully gripping my shoulder guards. "You have to stop doing this to yourself. I know the Towers was a terrible day for you, for all of Iacon, but you have to keep going!"

"They destroyed everything!" I spat.

I had my sire's temper.

Just like Dino.

But I had control over it.

I lost it now.

"They destroyed everything that was important to me!"

"Did they?" Hound asked, finally releasing my shoulder guards to sit back on his heels. "They destroyed buildings. Yes the Decepticons terminated hundreds of mechs and femmes. But you're still here Mirage. You survived the Towers, survived a War. There are so few of us left, how many can say that."

"They fell so fast…" I trailed off, the images still playing behind my optics. Fire and smoke and metal everywhere.

Hound sighed before shifting his legs to sit on the ground cross-legged in front of me.

"You know the date?" He asked.

I nodded.

"September 11, 2014." I replied.

"It's also the day the Towers fell in New York." Hound said quietly. "It's funny, in a sad way, how similar we are to the humans. Or they to us."

"What do you mean."

"Terrorists killed hundreds of people when they crashed those two passenger jets into the World Trade Center." Hound continued.

"So? Thousands offlined in Iacon. The entire city of New York would have had to die for the numbers to be the same."

"Its not the death toll that people remember. It's the act. The Twin Towers were the pride and joy of New York. At the time they were the tallest towers in world. Much like the Towers were in Iacon. The Decepticons destroyed the Towers to make a point. To hurt the Elites and teach them a lesson no one would forget."

"It worked." I snarled bitterly.

"Terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers to make a point as well. But you know what the difference is?"

"I didn't know there was a similarity."

"They rebuild. New York City rebuilt. They started over. Terrorists tried to crush them but they persevered and they rebuilt."

"We can't rebuild Hound!" I objected. "There's nothing to rebuild! Iacon- pit _Cybertron_ is dead!"

"We can rebuild here. Our relationships with the people of this planet are getting stronger. Yes, the Towers, on Cybertron and on Earth, were a terrible day for everyone that witnessed the destruction. But it made them stronger. It made us stronger. And it's made _you_ stronger. The mech that stood off to the side, watching his friend turn me into scrap metal doesn't exist anymore. He died when the Towers fell. The Towers stripped you. Left you with nothing and no one. Thousands of New Yorkers were left the same way. But they still had hope. Hope for a new start. And they did it."

"New York is as strong and bright as ever." Hound continued with a smile. "What won't kill you will only make you stronger."

"I don't understand."

"The most difficult and hard lessons in life are the ones we learn the most from. The mistake was the terrorist attack. And New York learnt and came back."

"What are you saying."

"That you can rebuild. Maybe not the lifestyle you had back on Cybertron, but the friends. The family. The _memories_. They can all be rebuilt." Hound explained. "Come on though. The others are worried about you. They didn't know why you took off like that." Hound said, offering me his servo.

And again, I took it without thinking.

Hound had saved my life that day.

Now he saved my sanity.

The drive back to base was quiet as I followed Hound at a much slower pace than my mad race out of the city.

As we drove back into the base, Optimus was standing just in the shadows watching us with concerned optics. Once I had transformed, limping on my bad leg.

"Mirage, are you alright?" He asked in our native language, instead of the course rough human's language. "We were worried about you."

Somehow I knew he wasn't talking about my leg or my scuffed paint. It was one of the reason I followed Optimus, because we weren't just a number to him, he cared about us.

Hound must have realised what I was thinking because he rested a servo on my shoulder guard and gave me that calm slime he always wore.

"I… I am now." I said quickly, glancing back at Hound.

"The humans are holding a small memorial service to honor those that died in the 9/11 terrorist attack. The others will be there. I know you have no love for Earth but I was wondering-"

"I'll come." I said, interrupting Optimus. "I want to come."

Hound squeezed my shoulder guard and I glanced back at him. At my true friend and comrade in arms. He was right, as usual. Maybe it was time to let go of the past and rebuild just like New York.


	4. Fire and Rescue

**So this is here because i didn't know where to put it in the main fic and it deviated a bit to much from the story line. Anyways, I had fun with this and I like it. Sorry, not really spoilers this time around but meh, pretty much something to tie up loose ends.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Eight didn't even try to hide the small whimper that escaped him as the heat reached his plating but he couldn't tear his optics away. It was one of those things that would be scared into his processor for the rest of his life, but he couldn't look away.

Watching the only place he had ever called home, the only place he had ever felt remotely safe, burn to the ground was one of them.

Fire and Rescue crews still swarmed the area as the fire burned into the morning dawn. Eight knew that the Guards that had been after Axil had been the one to set the blaze. It was the only thing that made sense. The fire had rapidly gotten out of control and instead of just their place, three other buildings had quickly caught fire as well and threatened to spread even farther.

With another scared whimper Eight shrank back as a bulky mech in fire red paint blazed past, yelling orders to the others still trying to control the roaring fire. He'd already tried to comm the medic to warn him but there had been no response. Worse, Rock, Clout and Sandstorm weren't responding either and he was making himself sick with worry over whether or not any frames would be recovered. Hesitantly he ventured out of the alley but still stayed in the shadows to watch as the fire continued to grow.

The building collapsed in on itself and a shower of sparks shot into the air as he threw his arms up to protect his faceplates. The heatwave slammed into him, instantly burning his paint in places and with a startled cry he fell backwards into the shelter of the alley, biting his lipplate to keep another pain and stress wracked sob from escaping.

He could already feel his thin armor blistering in some places from the heat and he curled up against the wall with a sob.

When Sandstorm's voice, broken and filled with pain, had come over the comm telling him to stay away from the place and that he was sorry, he knew the mech wasn't going to survive. His brother had said the same thing moments before the formech had dragged his badly damaged frame off to the so called medic. Moments later the shot had rang out and Eight had felt their sibling bond shatter in the same instant.

He didn't know what to do. He hadn't recharge since the orn before and he was exhausted. The Elite Guard were looking for them, looking for him. He wasn't like Sandstorm or the others. He didn't have a gang or friends he could rely on. The only mech he had ever trusted had been tossed into the furnace with the rest of the scrap. After all, metal was metal and if energon had once flowed through his crushed frame, what difference did it make to the Elites. It wasn't like he could afford a proper burial anyways.

"Hey, you alright!" A femme's voice demanded and Eight nearly jumped out of his armor, his red optics snapping up to see a red and orange femme with blazing white optics standing in the alley entrance. She was young, maybe just into her final frame like him with heavier than average armor.

But it was the way she easily held his gaze, standing with dignity that caught him off guard the most. She was standing with confidence and a sense of pride that he had never seen before. Gang raps were common in the factories and the femmes there were broken and empty shells from the constant abuse. The only ones that dared to show any kind of confidence were the ones that knew the Master's had their optics on them. But at the same time, Eight knew they were just as broken as the others. The only difference was a flashy paint job.

This femme was nothing like any one he had ever met. She was… was…free.

And she was still staring at him like she expected an answer.

"I'm I'm fine- I'm fine." Eight stammered, staggering to his peds despite the harsh gasp that escaped his vents.

"You're burned." She continued, walking into the alley. Eight backed away from her and tripped, a painful cry escaping him as he jarred his leg and fell. She was instantly beside him and he scrambled backwards.

"Please, I- I- I don't need your help." Eight rasped, scared out of his processor as he avoided her confused optics.

"Firestar! Where'd ya go!" A mech's voice yelled and Eight nearly terminated of spark failure as a bulky red mech appeared in the alley. "There ya went. Hey, who's he?"

"Dunno, he was watching the fire." The femme said, turning back to the mech "You got a medkit on you? Looks like he got caught in that heat wave. His arms are burned."

"Yeah I got one." The mech said before subspacing a kit and walking toward them. He was taller than Sandstorm with thick heavy armor and when he was lit from behind because of the fire, he looked like some towering spawn of Unicron.

Or worse, the Master that had come for his brother.

It was too much and Eight bolted only to come up short when the femme grabbed his arm in a vice like grip.

He spun to her in a panic but despite her strong grip, it was gentle enough that it didn't hurt.

"Calm down would ya? Inferno, back off you're scaring the poor mech." She scolded.

"Fine fine." The mech huffed, tossing the kit toward the femme and she caught it easily as he backed off, leaning against the wall with a crooked smirk.

"So what's your designation mech?" He asked causally and Eight nearly pitched backwards when the femme released him. He hadn't even realised he had still been pulling away.

"48 dash B-" He started to say only for the mech to huff air from his vents in a snort loud enough to make him flinch. If he had any strength left he would have bolted again.

"No no, ya designation. That's a serial number." He said with a slight frown. "What's ya designation? What ya friends call ya?"

"I- I don't…" he stammered before flinching when the femme grabbed his wrist with one servo, smearing cold paste down his plating with the other. The burning instantly subsided as the cool relief spread across his armor where ever she smeared the off-white paste.

"Well I'm Firestar." The femme said, glancing up at Eight with a friendly grin. "Don't worry about Inferno over there, he looks mean but he's a big softy."

The mech snorted again, shaking his helm with a grin.

"I'm…" Eight hesitated. "Eight. My roommates called me Eight."

"Still not a real designation." Inferno said with a scowl, glancing away. Abruptly he turned back to Eight, white optics bright. "I'm gonna call ya Red."

"Wha?" He stammered in complete surprise as Firestar snorted with laughter. He completely forgot about the fact that she had released him and was working on his other arm.

"Ya optics." Inferno said with a one sided shrug. "Only bit 'o color ya got. And it's a pit of a lot better than a number. I know mechs don't like it when ya kind have real designations." He added with a low snarl.

"Red…" Eight mumbled, trying the word out. It didn't sound like a designation. More like calling Sandstorm Tan, or Axil Grey. But at the same time…the mech was right. It wasn't a number and it was the closest he had ever gotten to a real designation. "Red." He repeated, liking the way the designation sounded.

"Was this your place?" Firestar asked, wiping her servos on a rag before falling back on her heels to sit on her legs in front of Eight. It made them the same height instead of her being taller than him and despite the fact he was ready to glitch, it made him just a little bit more comfortable.

The question made his spark stop though and a whimper escaped him before he realised it as he glanced away. Where were the others?

"I'll take that as a yes." She continued, turning to glance at Inferno. "How many lived here?"

"There was… was five of us." Eight stammered, optics lifting just barely enough to see the red glow from the fire on the ground. "I lost contact with them."

"There… there were two frames recovered." Inferno said after a moment and a sob escaped Eight. "Wasn't much left of them."

"Did…" Eight stopped, biting his glossa hard enough he tasted energon to keep from the voice the question he _had_ to know.

"Did they suffer? No." Inferno supplied. "No they didn't. You have any idea who they were?"

"What's wrong?" Firestar asked, cocking her helm to the side as she reached out to him. Eight immediately shrank back, knowing without a doubt who it had been. But had they terminated in the fire or had Ripsaw and his Guard gotten to them first. And if they had, where was Sandstorm! He was hurt but online, why didn't they leave him to melt in the fire?

"They were shot if that's what you wanted to know."

It felt like he'd been kicked in the spark.

"Inferno!" Firestar squawked, whipping around toward the other mech but Eight was already lost in his thoughts.

He knew it was Rock and Clout. They would never have left the other behind and they wouldn't have gone down without a fight. Sandstorm liked a fight just as much as them so he knew without a doubt that that was how he'd been hurt. And since he hadn't been in the fire, that meant the Guard had taken him.

Gory images of torn apart mechs, of towering black frames with energon blue optics and jagged armor, and mechs withering in agony as energon bled from their helms and optics flashed though his processor. Sandstorm was gone, he wouldn't come back. Not if the Guard had him. Not if they ripped his processor apart like so many others.

Another horrible thought was quick on its peds.

If they had fragmented Sandstorm, they would know he helped Axil and the medic escape.

A bounty would be put out for him and he could list the mechs on one servo that wouldn't turn him in in an instant. Credits were too valuable, energon too hard to get and mechs like him were replaceable. Disposable. If he ever returned to the factory he'd be turned over to the Elite Guard in a sparkbeat.

Another sob escaped him and a shudder wracked his frame as he pulled his legs up to his chassis. He'd felt safe there. Sure, the big mechs spooked him but he knew they would never let anyone they didn't know in. He knew he could count on them to keep him safe while he recharged. But now… now he had nothing. Nowhere that was safe.

"He needed to know. Those were his friends that terminated in there Star, he has a right to know what happened." Inferno was saying softly. "Ya ain't ignorant to the slag that goes on around here anymore than I am. Ya don't need a cornier to know those are bullet holes in their helms."

Firestar sighed, slumping before she rested a servo on Eight's shoulder guard and gave him a gentle shake.

"You got anyone?" She asked when Eight brought his optics up to her soft gaze. "Anywhere you can go?"

He shook his helm before his optics glazed over again and his helm dropped.

"Hey Inferno, you think…?" She left the question open ended as she turned toward the big mech.

He shrugged in response.

"That's up to Chief." He said before his white optics refocused on Eight. "I'm gonna guess though that all you did was manual labour."

"I… yes…" Eight stammered weakly.

"Any good with a broom?" He asked with a smirk.

"Inferno! Firestar! If I find you two 'facing in an alley I swear to Primus I'm gonna kick your afts!" A harsh voice yelled and Inferno's optics went a few shades whiter while Firestar gagged loudly.

"Fraggit all Chief! That's like… like kissin' my sister." Inferno said as he walked away. "Star's just my friend."

"Sure she is lover mech. Come already. Fire's finally under control. Star!"

"Comin' Chief!" Firestar yelled before rolled her optics and turning back to Eight with a grin as she stood up. "Come on! The station's in need of a maintenance mech for a while. Chief went and broke the last drone."

Eight winced at the same time she did though when she looked at him again her armor was tight against her frame.

"Sorry, I didn't think." She mumbled. "I know it's not much but it's a job… Chief is sick and tired of dealing with the cleaning drones they keep supplying us with. He said that at least mechs take pride in their work. He runs a tight place."

Eight didn't know how to respond so he didn't. There was no way she was actually offering him a job. Nobody did that. Nobody helped mechs like him. But the medic had offered to help and when he refused the help, didn't force him.

"It doesn't hurt to ask…. I mean… if you're willing." Firestar continued softly, shooting him an almost shy look.

"No! I'll- I'll do anything." Eight stammered desperately. "I- I can work."

"Great! I'll introduce ya!" She exclaimed, grabbing his arm again and yanking him after her. Caught completely off guard by her sudden mood swing he stumbled after her but his optics locked on the still smoldering ruins of his home.

"Hey Chief!" Firestar yelled at a deafening pitch that would have made Eight run for the shadows if she still didn't have that grip on his wrist. He looked ahead up to see a bulky yellow and red mech turn to glance their way and he immediately tried to pull away. Blue optics meant Elite and Elite meant pain. He couldn't do it, he couldn't do this he'd take his chances on the street rather than work directly under a Royal.

"What is it this time Firestar?" The mech asked in a no-nonsense voice but with a distinct tired edge to it. Made sense, the fire had been burning for a couple joors at least.

"Any word on that cleaning drone Iacon promised to send us cycles ago?" She asked, still dragging him forward despite him deliberately trying to slow the femme down.

Nononononono this was a bad, bad idea. Very bad.

"No. And I'm gonna kick their afts for that." The mech grumbled before noticing Eight and stiffening. A scowl crossed his worn features and he gave Firestar a flat look as he crossed fire scared arms over his chassis. "If you're thinking what I think you're thinking forget about it. We're not hiring."

"Come on Chief, that's his place that burned down. He ain't got nowhere to go." Firestar said, practically shoving him forward toward the bulkier mech. He froze in place, instinctive dropping his gaze and armor pulled tight against his frame. All he could think of was how much it was going to hurt if the mech struck the fresh burns on his arms.

"Homeless huh." The Fire Chief said lowly. "Can you at least look me in the optics when I'm talking to you?"

Eight flinched but knew an order when he heard it. He forced his gaze up to the mech's blue optics and just managed to keep from dropping them again.

"It's nothing glamorous. I'm just sick and tired of dealing with useless drones." He said without hostility. "That's all you'll be, a glorified cleaner and a couple steps up from a drone."

"I'll do anything Master." Eight mumbled, dropping his optics again as he instinctively fell into flatter-the-royal-so-he-doesn't-hurt-you mode . "I can't go back Ma-"

"Don't _ever_ call me that." The Chief interrupted with a low growl. "That clear? You want to call me by some fancy title, it's Chief, you got that?"

Eight nodded rapidly, sliding back half a step to try and put distance between them. He didn't know what he'd done wrong. He's gaze dropped to the ground again and he flinched when he heard the larger mech shift.

"I've seen enough fires like this to know this one was deliberately set." He continued before muttering a few choice words under his breath and dragging a servo down his faceplates. "Frag my soft spark."

"So we get to keep him!?" Inferno yelled out from somewhere.

Eight nearly jumped out of his armor, arms instinctively raising to ward off a blow. Nothing came and Firestar made an odd tsk-ing sound in her throat as she cocked her helm at him.

"Aw, he's so cute when he's scared sparkless." She said with a smirk.

Again, Eight had no idea how to respond and he hesitantly wrapped his arms around his chassis. Way too many strange, _big_ mechs and no way out. It was starting to get to him.

"Great, now you've completely weirded him out." The Chief said, rolling his optics before refocusing on Eight.

"So what do they call you." He asked with genuine interest. "And don't give some serial number slag. I know what you are but I refuse to call you some number like a drone."

"I vote Red!" Inferno called out and for once, Eight didn't cringe at the sudden attention as the red and yellow mech pointedly looked him over with a scowl.

"I didn't ask you!" The Chief yelled back after a moment and this time Eight did flinch. "And you ain't got a fleck of red paint on you." He added in a mutter. "So what's your designation?"

"Eight s-sir." He said hesitantly.

"It's Chief." The mech said like he's repeated it hundreds of times over. "And I think for once, I like Inferno's choice better. If you're alright with us calling you Red anyways."

He'd been called every curse and insult in the book.

"N-no sir." Eight replied.

"You're not gonna get over that 'sir' thing anytime soon are you?" The Chief asked and Eight shrank back, armor tight against his frame. To his dumb shock the mech chuckled before turning to Firestar.  
"Everything under control?"

It was like someone flipped a light switch in the femme and suddenly she was deadly serious, straightening up before giving a sharp nod.

"Everything contained Chief." She said curtly. "Fire only took out the four buildings and some of the surrounding have heat damage but nothing serious. It looked like it was all abandoned property 'cept for the one place."

"Good. Spotlight's gonna stay in the air for a bit longer to make sure it's out. Clean up your gear and head back to the station with the others." Chief ordered. "There's not much more we can do."

"Sure thing Chief." She replied with a smart salute, before spinning on her heel and taking off. Abruptly she skidded to a stop, turning back to Eight with a grin.

"You coming Red?" She asked.

Eight hesitated, looking between the Chief and the femme.

"Go on, I got to stay here a bit longer to deal with Enforcers and the press." Chief said with a shrug before cocking a smirk at Eight. "Less you _want_ to stick around when they show up?"

Eight frantically shook his helm as he took a nervous step back.

"Get going then. I'll see you at the Station." Chief said with a nod before turning in the direction Inferno's yelling had come from. "And someone find him a decent paint job! I'm running an F 'n' R unit not a scrapyard fraggit! I expect everyone to look their best!" He bellowed.

"Yes Chief!" A chorus responded and Eight jumped even as Firestar laughed.

"Come on Red, I'll give you the grand tour." She said.

Eight hesitated, before he started toward her and what might possibly be a second chance at life.

xxXXxx

Red Alert tensed as soon as he saw the scowling neon yelled medic stalk into the compound, a femme at his side. He was already yelling about something but the camera's mic didn't reach that far. Judging from the suddenly unsecure look practically radiating off Optimus Prime, the medic had been yelling at him.

"Something wrong Red?" Inferno asked from the doorway to the security center, a cube of energon in one servo as he leaned against the doorframe.

"I know him." Red replied, ice blue optics darting toward the big mech before locking back on the screens. "I know him from somewhere."

"Any ideas?" Inferno asked and Red shook his helm, forcing his tense frame to relax enough to calm down his friend. His _real_ friend.

"Well, I'm off till next orn, I'll see ya 'round." He said before walking out the door. As soon as it slid shut Red shot to his peds staring at the screen. The mech was in a heated argument with the young Prime and with a huff he stormed off, heading toward medical. Red Alert followed him on the cameras, trying to figure out where he had seen that bulky frame and obnoxious paint before.

Shooting pain shot down his leg as a whip cracking against his frame rang out in the near silence and he gasped, shuttering his optics as he clenched the control consul in front of him. The memory flux replayed in violent, vivid detail and a nano-klick later was over, leaving him trembling as he griped the board. It wasn't the first flash back he'd suffered and he knew it wouldn't be the last. The hot pain down his leg didn't stop and he finally sat down, rubbing a black servo down the back of his leg. It had scarred badly but he'd kept it clean and it had eventually healed. Only the other mechs at the fire station knew about it because his new armor that the Chief had gotten him when he'd passed his training didn't have the same, vulnerable gap like his old armor.

But he'd never forgotten where he had come from. The grueling, dangerous joors slaving away in the factory, constantly having to watch his back. Rock, Clout, Sandstorm and Axil watching out for him. Even though he'd lost contact with them in an effort to keep his past from catching up to him, he'd never forgot about them.

Someone like him getting a new chance at life was unheard of and he knew that as long as he kept his helm down, nobody from his old life would recognise him. Not anymore. His bold red white and black paint job as well as thicker, heavier armor were just the physical signs he'd changed. His confidence had sky rocketed as Inferno, Firestar, Chief and the others helped him get over his fear of _everyone_ and relax around them enough to start trusting them. He finally had a gang and more importantly, friends to call his own.

They'd quickly figured out he that not only did he have an obsession for routine, but an uncanny ability of noticing out of the ordinary things from suspicious activity to short range remote signals. His ability to notice signals extended into the complicated and risky world of coding. He'd taken to the network like a professional coder and within a few groons had taken over the security network for their station house.

Chief was convinced he was some kind of Outlier, Red was horrified of the idea, Firestar said it didn't matter she still thought he was cute, and Spotlight said they'd beat up anyone that said otherwise. Inferno's response was if anyone could get past their new security director.

Problem was, he could only stay hunched behind a terminal for so long and with his uncanny ability to notice abnormal things, he'd been sent on patrol with Firestar and Inferno. He'd been terrified of leaving the safely of the fire station, ironically house number 8, in case someone recognised him. They'd had to drag him out and he'd been shaking on his axils the entire time.

But when he'd spotted a couple young mechs glancing around nervously, he knew they were up to something and Inferno had managed to put out the tiny blaze before it could ignite the fuel cells and explode.

They'd been charged with arson and he'd been started training as a first responder. His past life caused him to throw all his energy and spark into the training, finish top of class two metacycles later. He was officially signed onto the security force but even with all the promotions he was offered as his skill in coding increased, he refused to leave the Station and more importantly, Inferno and Firestar. Even after they _finally_ bonded, they all remained close friends and he relied on them to no end.

He'd forced everything from his past behind walls that he'd never intended to break but now, seeing that medic, everything came back. His life in the factory, his brother, his home burning to the ground, his friends offline, all of it.

The medic had told him that if he ever needed help, to comm him. That he was there for the ones that had nowhere to go. He'd made it clear that he wasn't with the Elites, that he was there for the working caste. The working caste that now made up 87% of Decepticon forces.

He knew the medic had connections to the Decepticons, he knew he had connections to Megatron and most importantly, he was in _his base_.

Without taking his optics off the screens, he reached for the small button that would start a recorder.

"Log number 47-97." He said outload. "Update personal log. Designation Red Alert, Chief of Security. Civilian medic allowed on base to assist with wounded obtained from the Tower's Attack one cycle ago. Designation Ratchet. Affliction Neutral."

He hesitated a moment before continuing.

"Probability of Decepticon spy, almost guaranteed. Threat level critical. Must be monitored at all times for suspicious activity."


	5. Critical Choices

**Hey, FINALLY got this out. This is the oneshot for the 300th reviewer, HeartsGuardianSol that I finally felt like finishing. Her first request was one that i had no idea how to do without completely giving away some really important parts so her second one was of Ratchet growing up. I was really excited to do this, once I figured it out, because of the not totally accurate image people have of Avalon.**

 **So without further delay, Critical Choices.**

* * *

xxXXxx

14 metacycles ago

xxXXxx

Six metacycle old Ratchet giggled as he watched yellow-gold legs walk by. They paused before the mech continued on. Thinking he was safe, he made a mad dash for the couch only to let out a squeal when strong arms wrapped around his tanks and yanked him up a familiar chassis.

"Gotcha!" Avalon yelled as Ratchet squirmed. He let out another shrieking laugh as Avalon blew kisses into the side of his neck.

"Would you two keep it down?" Mica asked with a smirk as she walked into the living room with her arms crossed over her glimmering paint.

Avalon and Ratchet shared a sly look before he released Ratchet and lunged forward to grab his mate in a hug. With a sharp yelp from her, he swept Mica up before falling with her in his lap onto the couch. Ratchet pounced on her as Avalon mercilessly ran his digits up her side.

"I told you don't do-!" Mica gasped before breaking up in laugher as Avalon hit the armor seam he was after.

"Don't do what sweatspark?" He purred before kissing her neck. He tweaked a wire in her side and she nearly jumped out of his lap.

"That!" She squawked, swatting his servos away. Avalon responded by grabbing her wrists, pinning her crossed arms over her chassis.

"Get her Ratchet!" He called as she squirmed. Ratchet grinned before sinking his digits into the gaps in her armor. Mica howled with laugher, withering to get free and not accidently send her mechling flying across the room and he wiggled his way onto her lap.

"I got her Sire, I got her!" Ratchet giggled as he gasped for air, a huge grin on his faceplates.

"That's my mechling!" Avalon praised before finally releasing Mica. The femme twisted with a grin on her faceplates, latching onto Avalon's armor.

"My turn." She said before she planted a kiss on his lip plates. He stiffed in surprise before relaxing only to nearly shoot off the couch when Mica dig slim digits in to his armor.

"No fair!" He wheezed as Ratchet climbed higher up the couch to wrap his arms around his sire's neck cables in a hug.

"Totally fair Love." Mica said before kissing him again. Avalon managed to get an arm free to hug her and return the kiss. Abruptly he pulled away, holding a servo up as he glanced away.

"Comm?" Mica asked.

"I need to go." He said abruptly and Mica frowned.

"Of course you do." She said as she reached out to pick Ratchet up and set him on her hip bolt. "We'll see you this evening."

"I'm sorry Mica." He said as he stood up and brushed invisible dust from his gleaming frame.

"Come on Ratchet, want to head to the park?" Mica asked, ignoring him as she turned away.

"Mica! Don't do this." Avalon said with a frown.

"Don't do what." Mica asked in an innocent tone as she turned to look at Avalon. "You're the one leaving. Enjoy your time with the Prime. Now if you'll excuse us." She continued before gliding out the door.

xxXXxx

"How come you and Sire fight all the time?" Ratchet asked in a small voice as he watched traffic drive past Carrier's window.

"We don't fight all the time." Carrier corrected. "Just…"

She trailed off with a sigh before pulling over to the side of the road. The side door popped open and Ratchet jumped out, waiting for Carrier to transform. She did and he reached out to grab her servo as they walked down the busy sidewalk.

"Sire is just really busy." She said. "His job is really important to him and to us. Without him we'd be nothing. You understand right?"

Ratchet glanced up with his gold optics to lock on her similar pair.

"Yeah, I guess." He said, glancing down as they continued down the sidewalk. Shadows in an alley caught his attention and for a moment he locked optics with a scrawny, red optic mech. "We're better than them?" He asked, watching the mech until they were past the alley before glancing back up at Carrier.

"Yes. Their purpose in life is to serve us." Carrier replied with a nod. "But at the same time…"

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter." Carrier said simply. "You don't have to worry about anything."

"Get out!"

Ratchet clung to Carrier's servo at the sudden yell and she jerked him back as a mech crashed to the ground at their peds.

He was badly scuffed and as he scrambled to his peds Ratchet clung to Carrier tighter.

"What's his kind doing here!" She spat, pulling him closer to her as she backed up.

"Please, he needs help!" The mech begged and Ratchet glanced up to see him slowly get to his peds. A bright orange mech with black accents barged out of the doorway the mech had come flying out of.

"I don't treat your kind! How did you even get this far into Iacon!" He demanded.

"He needs help he's going to terminate!" The mech continued.

"Cone on Ratchet." Carrier said, pulling him away while keeping a firm hold on him. "We'll go a different way."

"But what's wrong!" Ratchet asked in confusion, glancing back at the mech.

"Please he's my brother!"

"Nothing that you need to worry about." Carrier continued, finally sweeping Ratchet into her arms to walk away.

"He's a medic." Ratchet said quietly, watching as the mech came out of the building farther to reveal the bright red cross on his shoulder guard.

"It doesn't matter. Not for their kind." Carrier said.

"I thought medics were supposed to help others." Ratchet continued in confusion.

"They are."

"Then why won't he help him?" He asked again as he watched anther mech walk out of the medbay. He didn't have the medical cross and Ratchet buried his helm in his carrier's neck cables when the mech brutally kicked the other mech.

"Because it's not how it works!" Carrier hissed, ducking into an arch way to set Ratchet down and face him. "It doesn't work that way. That mech shouldn't have come in this far, he's lucky he isn't arrested."

"But what about his brother?" Ratchet asked.

"He'll terminate." Carrier said bluntly and Ratchet glanced up at her in horror.

"But why! Why won't anyone help him!"

"Because he's nothing but gutter sludge!" Carrier yelled. "They are worthless and no true medic will waste valuable materials on someone who has the life expectancy of a scraplet."

Ratchet dropped his optics, trying to ignore the sharp cry of pain that rang out and the loud jeering that followed.

"We're getting out of there, there's going to be a mob." Carrier growled, transforming and opening her door. Ratchet scrambled in but stayed by the window to watch as she pulled back out onto the street. Just as she pulled out a grey pickup truck streaked with blue roared past. At least another dozen other vehicles were after him.

"He'll never get out of the city." Carrier growled. "He should have stayed with his brother."

"Can we go home?" Ratchet asked quietly. "I don't want to go to the park anymore."

"Of course Sweetspark." Carrier said quietly as Ratchet curled up on the seat, his helm resting against the glass.

xxXXxx

11 metacycles ago

xxXXxx

"A medic?" Avalon asked in surprise as he quietly slid the door to his creation's room closed. "What brought that on?"

Mica turned to give her mate a shrug before refocusing on her datapad. "I don't know. He was enjoying politics but I do know his friend, Focus?"

"Yeah."

"He's training to become a medic." Mica continued. "I guess he just wants to stay with his friend."

"You know we don't have friends." Avalon said with a frown as he walked over to kiss his mate on the top of her helm. With a low hiss she shoved him off.

"Maybe you don't but Ratchet's only 10." Mica said with a frown. "He doesn't care about this political backstabbing the way you do. I think it's great that he wants to become a medic."

"I'm not denying that." Avalon said with a sigh, moving to sit down across from his mate. "But you know I only want the best for him. Yes he's young but he needs to learn fast that if he doesn't follow the laws, he could lose his position or worse."

"Make you look bad." Mica mumbled under her breath and Avalon stiffened.

"That's not true." He objected. "He's my creation Mica, I love him more then anything."

"No you don't." She continued, finally setting her datapad down to look him straight in the optics. "All you care about is your job."

He opened his mouth to object again but Mica held a servo up.

"No, it's true." She said. "Every time your comm goes off its Prime wanting this, Prime wanting that, and you jump to his side."

Avalon glared at her but let her continue.

"You're hardly home and when you are, its when he's just about to go to bed." Mica said quietly. "He misses you. You never used to be as busy."

Avalon wilted, reaching out to gently rub a digit over the back of her servo.

"I know it's just…" he vented a sigh.

"The Council is still in an uproar airn't they?" Mica asked.

"Yeah. The problem is, those punks think it's a game to see how far into Iacon they can get." Avalon said, a growl escaping him before he sighed again. "I just want to keep Ratchet safe. I don't want anything to happen to him."

"If he does chose to become a medic, he'll still be close by." Mica said with a smirk. "You can still keep an optic on him and if that's what he wants that's a bonus."

"It is a well-paying career." Avalon said with a one sided shrug. "And with my connections, he'll be well off."

"Exactly. You won't have anything to worry about." Mica said with a smile, leaning forward to kiss him.

xxXXxx

10 metacycles ago.

xxXXxx

Ratchet burst into the apartment, a grin nearly splitting his faceplates. He couldn't believe it! They'd accepted him! He was going to study at the Iacon Medical Academy with Focus!

"Sire!" He yelled, remembering at the last moment to close the door as he waved a datapad over his helm. "Carrier! I got in! They said they would take me!"

"Ratchet that's wonderful!" Carrier said as she walked into the room with a beaming smile and her arms wide. Without slowing down Ratchet ran into her arms giving her a tight hug. He couldn't believe it! "I'm so proud of you."

"Yeah I get to see the Academy in a few cycles and see where all the classrooms are and everything!" Ratchet continued before pausing and glancing around. "Where's Sire?"

Carrier sighed before shaking her helm.

"He's at the Estates. But he said that we could come by when you were done school." Carrier said.

"Really?!" Ratchet asked in surprise. He almost never got to go the Estates. The place was amazing!

"Sure, we can go now if you want."

"Yeah! I can't wait to tell Sire." Ratchet said as he followed Carrier out into the hall. He quickly grabbed her servo even though he knew he was too old for that and practically bounced down the hall to the lifts. Finally he could do something!

He jumped into Carrier as soon as she was sitting in her alt mode and was still twitching with excitement as the safety belt slid around his waist.

The drive took way to long considering it wasn't that far away but he was too excited, clutching the datapad to his chassis. They finally made it through security and he burst out of her cab before she could even open the door. Before he could take off though she'd transformed and grabbed his arm.

"Oh no you don't!" She said with a laugh, dragging him back to her side. "You have to behave here, remember?"

Ratchet gave an exaggerated sigh before nodding and straightening up properly.

"That's my mechling." Carrier said with a grin as they started down the massive hallways. Ratchet tried to look dignified, he really did, but when he saw that unmistakable yellow gold armor he tore free of Carrier and bolted toward Sire.

"Sire!" He yelled as he ran toward the surprised mech as he spun around.

"Ratchet?!" He squawked as Ratchet collided with his legs in a fierce hug.

"I got it! They accepted me! I get to train to be a medic!" Ratchet said into his legs before Sire finally crouched down to his level.

"That's great Ratch, it is but…" Sire trailed off with a wince and Ratchet finally glanced up to see Sentinel Prime standing just off to the side, looking down at him in amusement.

"S-S-S-Sir!" Ratchet stammered, finally remembering his manners and dipping into a formal bow. "I apologise I didn't-"

"Do not apologise Ratchet." The red and silver Prime said with a faint chuckle, giving Sire a smirk before glancing back down at Ratchet. "That _is_ good news. A medic you said?"

"Yessir." Ratchet replied, bobbing his helm and shifting his weight back and forth. He was far too excited for formalities.

"Then I wish you the best with your studies. It is not an easy career."

"No sir." Ratchet said, bobbing his helm again. "I just wanna help mechs that don't have anyone."

Sire stiffened, optics shooting to Carrier before he dropped into a crouch beside Ratchet.

"Hey mechling, let's say we go out to a fancy place this evening?" Sire asked softly. "To celebrate?"

Ratchet nodded, still grinning as Carrier came up and rested a servo on his shoulder guard.

"Alright then. I'll see you tonight." He said with a grin, gently taking Ratchet's helm in his servos to plant a quick kiss on the top of his helm before pulling him into a quick hug. "I'll see you at home."

"Ok." Ratchet said with a grin before reaching up to take Carrier's servo and following her out.

xxXXxx

Avalon watched his mate and mechling leave, feeling his armor crawl as Sentinel's gaze slid to him.

"Help mechs that don't have anyone?" Sentinel asked in a low voice.

"I apologise for him sir." Avalon replied, too nervous to meet the Prime's glare. "He didn't know what he was saying."

"I hope so." Sentinel replied. "He takes after you. I would hate for him to get involved with matters that he shouldn't."

"I understand sir."

ooOOoo

Avalon slowly closed the door to his mechling's room, making sure it latched before silently walking into living room.

"Rough orn?" Mica asked, handing him a cube of energon.

"Primus yes." Avalon growled, shaking his helm. "What am I supposed to do with those mechs!"

"That group in the mountains?" Mica asked softly.

"Yes. They're lead by a mech designated Gunner. Mech should have terminated metacycles ago." Avalon continued, pacing the room. "Mech's nothing but bait metal but he keeps that gang in check somehow. But it's not him I'm worried about it's that glitched medic Chrome. He's starting to become a real nuisance."

"So have him transferred. Let someone else deal with him." Mica suggested with a shrug.

"I can't!" Avalon spat. "The entire mining _class_ is behind him! I get rid of him and we have another riot on our servos like the last time we locked him up! That mech, Gunner, he's too smart. I don't know how he keeps those mechs in line but he does. Formech's also concerned about his creation."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's even tougher than his sire." Avalon grumbled. "I swear, if anything happens to Gunner, Dusty's gonna take over. Fraggit. And now _this_ with Ratchet!"

"What's wrong with him becoming a medic?" Mica asked with a frown. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

"But what brought it on?" Avalon asked, glancing at his mate as he continued pacing. "Why this sudden interest?"

"His friend wanted to become a medic for a long time. I told you already." Mica replied.

"I guess. I'm just a little surprised at his career change." Avalon confessed, sinking into the couch with a tired groan. Mica came up beside him and started gently massaging his tight shoulder guards. "Sentinel was just a little nervous."

"What's to be nervous about? Ratchet's smart, he wouldn't do anything that would jeopardise himself or us."

"I know." Avalon said, relaxing against Mica's servos. "I just… Primus I don't want anything to happen to him. I just want the best for him."

"I know you do." Mica said softly. "We both do. Ratchet will make a fine medic."

"He'll be more than just a 'fine' medic." Avalon said firmly. "He'll make a brilliant medic. I know he will."

xxXXxx

5 metacycles ago

xxXXxx

"You _what?!"_

"I said I wanted to get Chrome to mentor me." Ratchet said with a shrug, avoiding his sire's blazing optics. "I've done my research, he's brilliant."

"And just what in _pit_ makes you think he's any kind of medic!" Avalon demanded. "You know what he is!"

"I've looked up the numbers." Ratchet continued. "I'll admit that it was hard finding casualty reports but the ones that I did find all say that when Chrome showed up, termination rates have slowed dramatically. He's obviously doing something that affects the numbers!"

"That _mech_ is a danger to everything you know." Avalon hissed, jabbing a digit at Ratchet as he continued pacing. "I've invested more than you realise into your _career_ and I will not let you _waste it!_ "

"It's my choice!" Ratchet snapped. "We get to choose our mentors!"

"Not in my house!" Avalon snarled. "I will not let you throw everything I've done for you away!"

" _You've_ done!" Ratchet yelled, shooting to his peds to spin and face his sire. "What are you talking about! I'm the one working my aft off!"

"You really think you're that smart?" Avalon asked with a smirk, pausing to face the young mech. "You honestly think you could have gotten this far without my help. Without _my credits_."

Ratchet's armor flared in alarm.

"You're bribing them." He said barley above a whisper. "You're- you're bribing the Academy. How could you."

"You're grades were never high enough to get in." Avalon growled. "You never would have passed the introduction courses."

"So everything's a lie." Ratchet asked. "What about when I graduated! What about the mechs and femmes I would end up treating! Sire I could _terminate_ someone!"

"Credits will get you far in life." Avalon said with a smirk.

"How could you." Ratchet asked again before a low snarl built in his throat. "How could you! I could have passed those courses without your help!"

Avalon barked a laugh, shaking his helm as he continued pacing.

"I could have! I don't need your credits to _buy_ a license, I can do it all myself!"

"You don't stand a chance Ratchet." Avalon said with a sneer. "Credits are all that matter around here."

"I don't care about the credits!" Ratchet snapped. "I care about helping mechs! I don't need your help proving that I can be a medic and I sure as _Pit_ don't need your credits!"

"I'd like to see just how far you'd get without _my_ credits." Avalon continued, turning to stalk up to Ratchet. "You'll be kicked out in a groon."

"You don't know what I'm capable of." Ratchet hissed, glaring up at his sire. "I'll prove it. I'll prove that I don't need you buying my license. I'm just as good as all the other apprentices and I'm gonna get the mentor I want and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Avalon slapped him, the backhanded blow making his helm spin as he stumbled to the side. The taller mech grabbed his shoulder guard, hauling him back upright and shoving him toward the door.

"Get out." Avalon spat, armor flared in rage. "Get out of my house."

"Gladly!" Ratchet shot back, wiping energon from his lip plate as he roughly shoved the door open. The spark stopping pain that came next nearly sent him to his kneebolts

Like a whip, the bond with his sire snapped viciously and Ratchet grabbed the wall, fighting to stay upright against the pain. Gritting his denta and with his servo pressed over his spark, he forced himself to walk down the hall toward the lift and down to the main floor.

By the time he got outside, the sharp pain had dulled to a throb and he glanced up at the Tower he had called home. The message was clear.

He wouldn't be welcomed back.

The realisation of what he had done hit harder than the severed bond and he felt his armor tighten against his frame. He was on his own. He had no credits and unless Focus was willing to take him in, nowhere to go. Sure he only had three more metacycles left before he graduated but his marks would drop if what Avalon had said was true. He'd have to work even harder to bring them back up.

Avalon didn't think he could do it but Ratchet knew otherwise. He'd be the best medic in Iacon.

Turning around, his gaze landed on the towering mountain ridge down Iacon's east side.

He'd never forgotten about the miner he'd seen when he was only six metacycles. Seeing the mech thrown out had scared him and he'd never found out what had happened to his brother. But maybe he could stop things like that from happening. But he was only one mech. It wasn't like he could change the laws that governed Cybertron or anything.

But maybe he could change just a small part of Cybertron.

xxXXxx

2 metacycles ago

xxXXxx

Hesitantly he pulled up to the double doors in the middle of the old white building, facing higher up into the mountains. The lights were on but he didn't see anyone though the glass sliding doors. With a deep exvent to steady his nerves, he transformed to biped, the soft dirt under his peds an alien feeling after the polished metal of the inner rings. He suddenly glanced around, realising just how bad of an idea this was. He didn't belong here. His bright paint and sleek armor screamed Elite even if he didn't go by the rank any more. Out here, this was miner territory and nothing would stop the big dangerous mechs from turning him into scrap metal if he accidently fragged them off. There would be no Enforcers to keep them back.

But this was what he wanted. This was why he had become a medic. With another exvent he finally walked up to the doors. The motion sensor caught him and they slid open. Ratchet was instantly hit with the clean sterile smell of a medbay and he was mildly surprised at the impressive state the place was in. It was far nicer than he could have ever expected.

Directly in front of him was a small office with a window to see the main doors. To the left was a single doorway and he could hear banging going on inside. To the right was the main medbay. A row of counters and cabinets lined the back wall while three berths lined the wall the main doors were on. A massive berth was up against the wall beside the counters while a huge overhead door took up the end of the medbay. An average sized steel examination table sat in the middle of the 'bay while another massive table was off against the wall with the counters.

"Piper! I swear if you're back again I will beat you over the head with whatever limb you got torn off this time!" A furious voice bellowed and Ratchet jumped.

"No sir. I'm ah... I'm looking for- for the medic designated Chrome." Ratchet stammered.

* * *

 **So i really really hope i got the time line right because my original one is still on my whiteboard at my old place and i have yet to find a classroom size whiteboard to replace the beloved thing.**

 **To explain!**

 **Avalon is not a "cruel" father by any means. He's a typical dad that just wants the best for his creation, even though his job takes up maybe a but to much time. Its when Ratchet's choices start contradicting Avalon's that he starts getting a little annoyed purely for the fact that he doesn't want his creation to screw up and drag his reputation down as well. When Ratchet blatantly says that he wants to do something (Chrome) that** completely **goes against Avalon, that's when he gets ticked. It's not so much as Avalon changing from a good sire into the dangerous, power-hungry monster we all know and love, but** Ratchet **refusing to become the typical dangerous, power-hungry Elite and instead become the "weird one" in that he actually cares about those below him. Even Focus is a bit like that if you go back to the early chapter of TMJ:A.  
**

 **I hope that all makes sense.**

 **See you all next time!**

 **Read and Review I love you guys!**


	6. Demons

**STILL ALIVE! Sadly, my muse is not. She has officially gone on vacation and left me behind. Don't worry, I'll catch the little glitch at some point. So, until i figure out what you bait muse traps with, your stuck with whatever my brain dead brain can come up with. Don't worry, I haven't given up i have way to many cool ideas i can't wait to write.**

 **Just a warning, this one's a little on the darker side. There's a little... i don't know what you'd call it. Some would call it slash but i have said it once i've said it a million times, i DON'T write slash. It's more of a dominance thing. NOTHING sexual though ew...**

 **Anyways, enjoy what happens on a Friday night at my place... ugh i have no social life...**

 **This takes place in the last... say third of the war. And yes, spoilers that aren't to much of a spoiler because I'm not the first one to do this.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jazz watched the other mech carefully, watching for some signal that he was about to move. His armor was flared slightly and he stood with his peds braced apart like he expected the other mech to attack him. The stranger mirrored his posture and his dark red visor, the same color as organic blood, flashed dangerously. Dark silver, almost black, armor absorbed the light instead of reflected it and the mech's compact frame was covered in old scars. Razor sharp claws were braced at his sides and when he smirked, the gleam of fangs showed between his lip plates.

The mech, Miester, put dangerous to a whole new level and Jazz tensed when the other mech shifted his weight.

It was all the warning he got as the mech sprung at him with the agility of a feline. Jazz caught his servos with a grunt before his claws could dig into his silver grey armor. He let the mech's momentum force him backwards. He rolled with Miester on top and kicked him up and away from him, continuing his backwards roll to come to his peds. He dove at Miester but the mech was already up and dodged away. They continued exchanging blows, neither one able to get the advantage.

Jazz was panting heavily as they continued to circle each other. Miester looked as fresh as before the fight and he gave Jazz a dangerous smirk as he stopped circling. Jazz watched him, trying to figure out the mech's next move while at the same time, trying to catch his breath.

His spark was hammering so hard in his chassis he was sure it would pop out.

Miester lunged and Jazz slid to the side, trying to swipe his claws along the mech's back as he went past. He missed as Miester twisted out of the way and spun toward him.

He was too close and Jazz stumbled backwards as the mech's claws ripped his armor over his spark open. Energon bubbled from the deep gashes and he pressed a servo against them. His servo came away wet with energon and when Jazz glanced up, Miester was openly grinning at him.

Jazz gave a low hiss, lip plates pulled back to show off his own fangs as he let a pair of short daggers drop from subspace and into his servos. Miester scowled before lowering into a crouch. Blades dropped into his servos as well and Jazz lunged at him.

They locked blades, Jazz on top and he forced Miester back with short, powerful stabs and swings. Mister snarled, fangs bared as he struggled to keep ground under Jazz's relentless attacks.

Jazz faltered and Miester struck, diving low under Jazz's blades before coming up to ram his shoulder guard into Jazz.

The force of the hit threw Jazz back and he landed on his side hard, his vents cutting out from the impact.

He couldn't breathe as he rolled, Miester's blades burying themselves in the ground where his helm had been. A ped slammed into his side, ped claws gouging his side as the kick sent him sliding again.

Another hiss escaped Jazz as he lashed out as Miester prepared to kick him again. The mech grunted in pain as Jazz's knife stabbed deep into the side of his leg. Jazz scrambled to his peds to get away and catch his breath.

Miester remained half crouched on the ground, energon pouring from the deep gash in his leg. He wasn't out of the fight yet but Jazz knew it would slow him down.

He dropped another blade, more like a short sword from subspace and stood braced off to the side.

Miester didn't stand but glanced up at Jazz sharply. The silver mech ducked as the knife hurtled past his helm with deadly accuracy. Again Miester slammed into him and Jazz just managed to get the short sword between them before Miester could bury the knife in his spark.

He twisted away from the other mech and managed to slash the mech across the back as he stumbled past. Mister spun to face him but Jazz was moving again with the same rapid fire stabs as before.

Again Miester was forced back with a snarl and Jazz spun into a powerful kick that sent the mech sprawling. Before he could get up Jazz was on him, throwing his blades into subspace to grapple with the mech claw to claw.

Miester somehow got his leg between them and kicked Jazz away. Before he could regain his bearings though Jazz was at him again, a powerful kick just missing the other mech. Miester grabbed his ped and Jazz twisted around, using the mech as leverage to bring his other leg around and kick Miester in the helm. The mech stumbled away and Jazz kept after him, feeling the thrill of victory start to build in his chassis.

The mech was driven back as Jazz used every trick he knew to gain the advantage.

Suddenly Miester was behind him and Jazz arched in silent agony as a blade stabbed deep into his back. The blade pierced his chassis and instinctively Jazz grabbed the blade. The edges sliced into his claws but he didn't care as he sank to his kneebolts, his legs no longer able to support him.

His spark spazamed against the blade that pierced it as his energon pounded in his audios. Miester's sharp claws were on his shoulder guard and with a frame wracking jerk, he tore the knife out. Jazz couldn't stop the keen that escaped him as energon poured from the fatal wound.

"So close." Miester whisper in a silky purr, his mouth right next to Jazz's audio as he gave the injured mech a gentle caress across the back of the helm like some kind of pet.

Jazz hissed and tasted energon on his fangs. He dropped a blade into his servo and with his last amount of strength twisted and surged upward.

Miester doubled over as Jazz drove the knife into his spark, twisted hard, then jerked it out again.

"Not close enough." Jazz panted, energon dripping from his lip plates as Miester crumpled to the ground.

"Can't last…" Miester croaked, struggling to get up. "Ah'll get ya…" Jazz placed a ped on the mech's chassis, feeling nothing as he pressed the mech back down to the ground and leaned over him.

"Ah can last long'a then ya. Tha's all tha' matt'a." Jazz replied with smirk.

xxXXxx

"Whoops!"

Sunstreaker slapped a servo to his faceplates as Sideswipe tumbled into the training room with an undignified yelp.

Jazz spun to them with his blades drawn ready to attack before straightening with a frown and slowly sheathing the weapons.

"Ah thought Ah locked tah door." He said as Sunstreaker shoved past his brother into the otherwise empty room.

"You normally do." He said, shooting his twin a look. "You forgot to this time and glitch here leaned on the control pad."

"Ow much ya see?" Jazz asked, his silver grey armor gleaming from a fresh wash and polish. Unlike 99 percent of the mechs on base, Jazz was one of the few that managed to polish his entire frame and not leave marks.

"Enough." Sunstreaker said softly, his optics saying far more than his words.

Jazz's helm snapped to the side suddenly like something caught his attention before he relaxed.

"No wonder nobody wants to fight you." Sideswipe continued, either missing the mech's strange action or ignoring it. "You're one pit of a scary fighter."

"Sorry. Just 'ad ah lot on mah processor." Jazz said, easily flashing them a smile as he fully relaxed. "Ah forgot ya liked this ring. Lot's o' space."

"Got that right." Sideswipe said with a grin, easily moving aside as Jazz walked up.

"Don' break anythin' ya'll 'ave tah call maintenance fo." Jazz said with a smirk as he clapped Sideswipe on the arm. "Ratch will 'ave ya 'elms."

"Naw, we just want to burn off some energy." Sideswipe replied easily as Jazz left.

Sunstreaker watched him leave with a frown before the door closed, shutting off their view of the smaller mech.

"What's with him." Sideswipe asked, his tone far darker and more dangerous than it had just been. Tense energy rolled across the bond like a black wave and Sunstreaker shuddered as it hit his own barely standing walls.

"You know what." Sunstreaker said, turning to face the empty room.

Two mechs stood across from them. One was a bright red, the other a golden yellow. Both were covered in dirt and energon and had a wild, feral air around them. Their optics flashed a murderous red as long blades easily dropped from subspace. The red mech threw back his helm with a cackle but the golden yellow one remained dangerously silent as he slid into a gladiator's stance and beckoned Sunstreaker forward in a challenge.

"We're not the only ones fighting demons." Sunstreaker snarled softly as he braced himself.

* * *

 **So, just to explain a little bit.  
**

 **In the TMJ universe, Jazz and Miester are the same mech. Miester eventually gets hired by the Cons, then joins them. Through ****** and **** not to mention a lot of *******, he ends up an Autobot and changes his name to Jazz. But for obvious reasons, is still haunted by what he's done, just as the twins are.**

 **There for, he's not fighting another mech, he's fighting his old self.**

 **Think of it kinda like a split personality. Problem is they're very similar, 'Miester' is just a little farther over "that line in the sand" then 'Jazz' is.**

 **So that's the bare bones take on Jazz's life story, i have SUCH a backstory for him i can't WAIT to get it down.**

 **Read and Review and sorry for being gone so long i just literally can't type. THEREFOR to try and get Ms. Muse back, drop me some oneshot suggestions and i might do them just for the heck of it. No promises though because of the #$% # writers block. But feel free to give me some ideas. I'm desperate!**


	7. Underestimated

**So this is another fic thanks to my sister, the one who thinks I'm completely nuts but still manages to give me ideas for three oneshots. The other two are Manicure and Nightmare, both posted separately but this idea can fall under The Medical Journals universe. Call it an AU of an AU if you will. The prompt was "Starscream in charge". Now technically, this isn't him *in* charge, but gaining control. Anyways, it's an idea, I'm stressed like unbelievable, and i needed to type SOMETHING. So, short and sweet but I'm having a rough day and needed to disappear into my world for a bit.**

 **This takes place during TMJ universe, but seeing as it's Starscream in charge, not Megs, it branches off of the original time line. Hope that makes sence and hope you like it.**

 **Oh yeah! And un-named possible spoilers if you squint :)**

 **2211Nighthawk.**

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Starscream took a step back, wings pinned too tight against his flared armor, fans running far too hot and fast to be healthy. He swallowed the energon dripping down the back of his throat but he didn't dare move to wipe away the blue fluid running down his faceplates from a busted nasal ridge. It dripped off his jaw onto his dented and scratched raw chassis. His cockpit was still intact by some miracle, but heavy fracture lines crisscrossed the reinforced glass and threatened to shatter if he breathed too hard. Every plate of armor on his frame was dented somehow, some of it missing entirely and ragged gashes dug deep into his protoform. Weak with energon loss and the beating, his legs threatened to give out on him but he still didn't dare move.

The massive bulk of a mech didn't even shift from where he lay crumpled on the ground a few feet away, his back to the seeker. Nothing moved and the only sound was the wet, heavy venting of Starscream.

The silence roaring in his audios, Starscream swallowed again, then hesitantly took a step forward. His claws instinctively tried to dig into the ground for purchase but on the hard floor, they barely scratched the surface. The lower knee joint on his left leg didn't bend properly and he hissed when he had to put weight on the damaged joint for a nano-klick before his other leg caught up with him and he could get the weight off of it. He froze again, then took another limping step forward, wings flaring slightly even as he felt the thrusters on his back heat up in preparation for a fast take off.

Still the mech didn't move even when Starscream was a step away from the mech and well within striking distance. But he didn't move. Starscream held his breath, freezing all his systems but only roaring silence met his audios. No wet venting, no rasping breath.

He flared his wings for balance and with a clawed ped rested it on the mech's shoulder guard and pulling him toward himself, rolling the mech onto his back.

Grey, sightless optics didn't move from their wide in shock position and Starscream dropped his ped back to the floor, wings pinned back in unease.

His helm snapped around, nervous red optics darting around with too much paranoia but realizing he was still alone, a low hiss escaped him. It had a hard, dangerous edge to it and with any amount of effort it could reach a scream that would shatter audios. Seekers, and to a lesser extent Praxians, were known for their shrieks but Starscream could reach a pitch that most could never hope to copy.

The low hiss came again, catching in his throat and he coughed harshly before filching at the sound, wings flattening against his back.

He straightened, sharp optics brightening with a feral glee as he took a step to the side, wings starting to flare wider again. The hiss came again and he smiled, fangs bared as he paced silently around the unmoving mech.

"Still think I'm worthless?" He asked in a low rasp. His spark stopping scream came at a price but the raspy voice was worth it if only to see mechs run in absolute terror. He sneered, kicking at the mech and his pedclaws left deep scratches on the mech's armor. "Still think that I can't do anything?"

His armor stood on end, his wings flaring high and wide.

"Still think that pit-spawn traitor is better then me?!" He shrieked, the scream echoing in the dark room and he threw his helm back with a cackling laugh. "You treated him like a _god_ and he betrayed you! I knew he would! You didn't believe me but I knew he couldn't be trusted! That pit-fraggin' miner!"

He laughed until he couldn't breath, energon still dripping down his throat and he roughly dragged his bracer across his liplates to get rid of the metallic taste. Something flashed and he froze before twisting his arm a little to examine the razor sharp knife he held. It was snapped off at half it's length, the tip still buried in the other mech's spark chamber. It had been one beating too many, the mech's rage taken out on the seeker because of the fallout caused from the mech closest to them betraying everything they stood for.

It had taken all his desperate strength to drive it into the mech's spark, in between his heavy armor and into his black spark but he'd done it.

He'd crumpled, his servo still around Starscream's throat as his optics widened in shock at the knife in his chassis. It didn't take long for the mech to leak out, not with the primary line to his spark severed, but Starscream would not take chances. Not with someone as dangerous as Megatron. It had been half a joor since he'd stabbed the Warlord, and nothing had come of it. The mech was down, not moving, and there was no spark signature.

"You'll see." Starscream hissed again. "You'll see I'll be a better leader then you, or anyone! I will lead the Decepticons, not you! And I will rule Cybertron."

The knife, though broken, was still razor sharp and it took nothing to slice lines in the former Warlord's neck and sever his helm.

Still limping, and energon dripping from his wounds, he shoved the door open and stalked into the lower hallways of Dark Mount. The mechs and femmes he passed dropped their optics at the sight of him and nobody noticed the dark mass clutched to his shattered chassis. They knew what happened when the Decepticons lost a battle and without their once glorious Second, his rage fell on the new, lesser, Second in Command. It didn't matter that he was a scientific genius, or that he was the Air Commander with an entire armada under him. All that Megatron cared about was that he was not that pit-spawn miner and worse, that he hadn't managed to terminate him before he got to the Autobots and told them everything. And Megatron reminded him every time they lost to those pit-spawn Autobots.

The doors to the command room slid open and Starscream limped inside. Shocked optics locked on him then immediately dropped to individual stations as they avoided his gaze.

"Soundwave." He rasped, voice rough and still choked with fluid. Someone glanced up at their partner before shooting a quick glance at Starscream, then dropped again. "Where is Soundwave!" He yelled, that famous shriek sharpening the words till they could cut metal.

He felt a presence pressing against his processor and he spun with a hiss, the tall slim mech nearly invisible in the dim shadows that filled the base.

He didn't say anything and his full face shield hid everything but the sudden tightening of his armor gave him away.

Starscream bared his fangs in an ugly grin, flaring his wings. The stiff panels locked together behind him, arching up over his back and making him look far bigger then he really was.

"Soundwave." He said as soft as a file on armor. "Loyal Soundwave. Following _Lord_ Megatron like a blind mech."

Nobody missed the snarl in his voice and a few brave ones turned toward him. Soundwave didn't move but Starscream felt the pressure on his firewalls.

"Will you still follow him Soundwave?" He asked. "When he leads us into blind slaughter will you still follow him? Like he followed that _gutter scrap_ before he betrayed us all _?_ "

He could hear the mechs and femmes spinning to him in surprise, feel their shocked and worried optics on his wings. The pressure on his firewalls became sharper, more dagger like as Soundwave silently made his demand.

Starscream bared his fangs again as he hurled the severed helm at Soundwave's peds. The mech jumped back even as shocked gasps filled the room.

"Megatron underestimated me too many times." He snarled, raising his voice so that everyone in the room heard. "He thought he could keep me under his ped like he did that weakling miner, he never listened to me when I told him he was a threat to us all."

" _You failed me Starscream."_

The seeker went rigid as the unmistakable snarl and Soundwave took a step forward as the recording continued. " _I gave you one simple command, to terminate that mech before he got to the Autobots and you failed!"_

"Megatron never killed him when he had the chance!" Starscream shrieked and Soundwave clapped his servos over his audios at the damaging pitch. "He was too weak to rip his spark out himself! I will not make that same mistake, now make your choice Soundwave!"

The seeker had his null ray cannon out before anyone could move and had it aimed at Soundwave.

"Follow me Soundwave." He snarled. "Or follow your old Master."

Nobody dared to even cycle air as all optics snapped to the silent mech and what his choice would be. With his usual silent grace the mech stepped over Megatron's severed helm before dropping to one knee before Starscream, his helm lowered and his presence retracting from Starscream's processor.

"Lord Starscream." He whispered in his mangled, shredded voice. Around him he could hear the others sliding to the ground, copying the mech's submissive posture and he smirked as 'Lord Starscream' echoed through the small group.

"I said I wouldn't make the same mistake." He said, the triumphant smirk morphing into a vicious snarl. Soundwave's helm snapped up in shock but all it did was give him a clear shot.

The recoil kicked back his arm and the boom was deafening in the enclosed area. A femme screamed but he ignored it, finally letting the null ray collapse back into his clawed servo.

"Who's in charge of communications." He demanded, still staring at Soundwave's rapidly greying frame.

"I-I am L-Lord Starscream." Someone, a mech stammered.

"Send a message out to everyone under my command." He ordered, shifting to give the slim mech a sharp look. "Tell them Megatron and his loyal pet Soundwave had terminated by my servo. I am in charge of the Decepticons."

His lip plate curled back to reveal a fang as he deliberately sidestepped the growing pool of energon surrounding Soundwave before giving Megatron's helm a disgusted look. "Someone clean that scrap up." He growled, kicking the helm at Soundwave's limp frame with a hiss before stalking toward the door. Abruptly he paused in the doorway before turning back to the command room.

"Things are going to be very different around here." He said, red optics sweeping the room and daring someone to argue. "We're gonna start doing things _my_ way."

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